The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for residents in the Emfuleni Municipality not to vote for the African National Congress (ANC) in next year’s municipal elections. The party says the ANC has failed to deliver services and that the freezing of the municipality’s bank account will worsen the situation.
A Chinese company secured a R45 million payout after the High Court in Johannesburg froze the municipality’s account. This relates to a 2014 contract for smart metres to be installed in parts of the municipality.
According to the municipality, however, the 10-year contract was terminated after residents rejected the smart metres. BXCSA allegedly demanded payment despite termination of the contract.
DA MPL, Kingsol Chabalala says, “The issue of Emfuleni Municipality’s bank account being attached exhibits the highest form of incompetence by the ANC Government. This will worsen the already bad situation in Emfuleni, as we know that they cannot provide or render services. MEC Maile and Premier Makhura have failed Emfuleni residents as the municipality continues to limp from one disaster to another. It shows that the interventions in Emfuleni is not to improve the fortunes of Emfuleni Municipality but to drive their own narrow political agendas. We call on Emfuleni residents to boycott voting the ANC in 2021 elections so that the DA can improve the fortunes of Emfuleni municipality.”
Meanwhile, DA Spokesperson on Finance Geordin Hill-Lewis says the country needs an economic reform tracker to hold government accountable, instead of more economic promises from President Cyril Ramaphosa. The President is expected to address a joint-sitting of parliament on Thursday.
Hill-Lewis says the DA’s newly launched tracker is the solution.
“The purpose of the tracker is to hold the government accountable to the many promises that they have made over the last two years since President Ramaphosa’s election as president – to wide-ranging economic reform and yet very little progress has been made on any of those promises. So, instead of more plans and more promises, we are going to hold the government to account for the promises that they have already made to reform or economy and our country to get South African growing again.”
