Gauteng Premier David Makhura says he’s optimistic that the new Tshwane administrator will help to restore the delivery of basic services in the Hammanskraal and Tshwane regions.
Makhura who interacted with communities in and around the Tshwane region says the majority of residents have welcomed the placing of the Metro Municipality under administration.
The Gauteng government has dissolved and placed the Tshwane Democratic Alliance-led metro under administration a week ago, citing political instability and the collapse of the delivery of basic services.
Speaking during his site visit to the newly-built Mandisa Shiceka Clinic in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, Makhura said, “What is a fact is that this city has ground to a halt and it is not allowed in law to just sit back and watch. So, the people of Hammanskraal must know that at least this is one thing that we want sorted out. First, the priority of the administrator is to connect this clinic to water, electricity, sewerage and stormwater. The officials of the city must also do their work because they take advantage of the chaos in the council.”
Makhura saying the majority of Tshwane residents welcomed news of the metro being placed under administration
Community health facility
The multi-million-rand community health facility should have been operational by the end of December 2018. It was built by the Gauteng Provincial government since September 2017 at a cost of more than R120-million.
Project manager Reneilwe Mmatli explains, “We started this clinic in September 2017 but we’ve been waiting for the municipality to come to us with the standard development plans so that they can give us the full connections of electrical, sewerage, stormwater and just the normal water.”
Provincial Health MEC Bandile Masuku is equally disappointed. He says the delay is denying the local community the much-needed health services.
“It is the second time we come here we were here last year just to see how far we are and were told the only thing that is left behind is the connection to the bulk water service which essential, sewerage, stormwater, drinking water and electricity. And these functions of the municipality. But now we glad that with the appointment of the administrator this will be sorted.”
Local residents have appealed for a swift intervention from the provincial authority so that the clinic could be completed soon and render the necessary services.
“We are happy that MEC was here and we asked them how they can assist so with the appointment of the administrator. We hope he will hit the ground running and get this clinic working.”
Several attempts to elect and appoint the new mayor were unsuccessful. The DA’s second executive mayor since the 2016 local government elections, Stevens Mokgalapa, resigned recently. He was accused of misconduct.
EFF hopes for proper government in Tshwane
The EFF has accepted the decision by the Gauteng government to place Tshwane under administration. A number of administrative and service delivery challenges were also sighted including unauthorised and irregular expenditure, as well as the current financial crisis.
EFF leader Julius Malema says that he hopes there will be a proper government in Tshwane after the by-elections.
“Sometimes we find ourselves in this situation which is not of our own making; it has been made by the electorate itself. We hope that when we come back from elections, there will be a proper government that will receive a proper mandate from the people of Tshwane.”
‘Half-truth and manipulation’
The Democratic Alliance’s provincial chairperson, Mike Moriarty believes there was no need to dissolve the council.
“We don’t need to dissolve council. This is extraordinary and so on. They never considered doing in areas like Merafong and Emfuleni where there are credible, bad things taking place. But yet it comes in a DA-led council. You gonna ask yourself is this not a political power grab. Is this not the ANC that lost in an election and suddenly deciding that this is the way that they gonna do it. This is half-truth and manipulation.”
The DA is in the meantime seeking legal advice on whether it should take the Gauteng government’s decision on legal review.
Mixed feelings
The people of Tshwane have reacted with mixed feelings. One resident says that the Council only collects money, but does not do its work.
“Does it make any difference if we have a Council? There’s no problem because they just keep taking money, isn’t it better without them? They are sitting there; 20, 30, 40 people just sitting there collecting money. Everybody is just collecting, but nobody is doing anything. Look at the state of the streets.”
Another resident says Tshwane residents are not satisfied with the services.
“If you look at how Tshwane is being run, services; I just experienced people carrying water with buckets. I wonder if that has to do with poor service from the Council and that we don’t have a Mayor. We are not satisfied here in Tshwane.
Tshwane residents react to the municipality being placed under administration
