Manuel urges citizens to hold councillors accountable

Former Finance minister Trevor Manuel says elected politicians must stop passing the buck and South Africans must hold their councillors accountable.

He was speaking at the Reimagining Mitchell’s Plain summit. Manuel told the participants that if people wanted to restore the soul of Mitchell’s plain on the Cape Flats, the state would have to play its part.

He says national, provincial and local government must co-operate to give residents a decent standard of living.

“If it doesn’t happen then the people of Mitchell’s Plain are duty bound to ask whether they have the right quality of representatives. I’m not being judgemental on anybody.

I’m merely saying if you don’t have the quality of representatives and you think that you need a better quality of democracy let your voices be heard,” explains Manual.