The City of Tshwane has collapsed under the leadership of the DA, the self-proclaimed custodian of virtue and clean governance. It is a city characterised by low worker morale, incessant employee strikes, collapsed systems, maladministration, corruption and absence of service delivery.
The capital city of South Africa resembles a slum, in which garbage and a putrid stench abound. In an act of irony the DA, the destroyer of the once flourishing city, is contesting the 2024 national general elections under the slogan “Rescue South Africa”. The DA is in fighting mode, out to secure Cape independence with a grand plan to secede, neglecting black communities in favour of plush suburbs.
This is not surprising considering the DA’s nostalgia for minority rule, racism and the exploitation of black voters to bolster its fortunes at the polls, and use of black leaders as failed examples. The DA is bleeding black leadership as a result of its racist policies and attitude towards blacks, thus bringing into doubt its non-racial stance and supposed inclusivity. As the country approaches the May 29 elections, a cursory glance at the DA’s election manifesto and its posture at parliamentary level exposes a party with an anti-transformation agenda contrary to the promise of rescuing the country.
It is against universal health care as advocated by National Health Insurance, equity in the workplace through Employment Equity legislation, in opposition to social security and the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act. At worst, it displays callous support for the genocidal Israel in a country founded on respect for human rights.
This is a party that bemoans cronyism, accusing the ANC of corruption, partisanship and failure to declare its financial interests as required by the Political Party Funding Act. The DA refuses to disclose its tainted Steinhoff funding yet wants other parties to disclose funding. This is not surprising, it is not easy to disclose benefits brought by thieves.
Typical examples of DA hypocrisy include Tony Leon soliciting a multimillion rand tender when Herman Mashaba was at the helm of the City of Johannesburg, contrary to procurement prescripts; the GladAfrica saga that has been the hallmark of the DA; attempts to establish a power grid contrary to the principles of competitiveness, fairness and transparency; breach of separation of powers by descending into the international arena, which is an exclusive purview of national government; and undermining the credibility of the Election Commission of South Africa and free and fair elections by calling for international observers to oversee and monitor the 2024 elections. This is a sign of panic. The examples demonstrating an unprincipled DA are too many.
The DA refuses to disclose its tainted Steinhoff funding yet wants other parties to disclose funding.
In view of these, how is it possible for it to fix a country when it cannot run a municipality with a fraction of the country’s population? The DA cannot overstate the importance of national government above other tiers of the state. The 1998 White Paper on Local Government defines and characterises local government as the service delivery vehicle by its proximity to communities. Local government discharges its mandate in a manner that is people-driven and people-centred and is subject to a string of laws to ensure that it executes its mandate in a manner that is accountable and responsive to the interests of communities as it advances socio-economic transformation.
The City of Tshwane is beyond the reach of local government, it is on the brink of collapse with serious ramifications for the dignity of the people.
Local government legislation entails clean governance, accountability, transparency, cost effectiveness and a service delivery and performance-oriented paradigm. To enhance performance and accountability, the office of the auditor-general was established as an institution to support democracy. This vehicle is effective in increasing the capacity of the state to assess performance and to ensure that state institutions administer their affairs in accordance with the law.
The auditor-general’s report on the finances of the City of Tshwane reveals a city in a shocking state, with service delivery performance and internal systems virtually non-existent. It is not surprising that cholera hit Hammanskraal, that streets are filled with litter, public transport has collapsed, and acts of nepotism abound.
The DA has mastered subterfuge and double standards, and is one of the worst-performing parties — contrary to what is portrayed in the political space.
The auditor-general has found that the city has overstated its employee-related costs by more R15m. This is in addition to R2m paid towards the salaries of staff who had resigned from the municipality.
Tshwane is facing a water crisis, taps are running dry, posing a serious health hazard to communities — and the risk of death, as witnessed in Hammanskraal.
The auditor-general found overtime payments of R15m which were overstated by R1.9m. The report found that the city understated irregular and wasteful expenditure by R1.4bn, loss of electricity by R2.4bn, water losses by R1.1bn due to meter inaccuracies, non-metering and unauthorised consumption.
Despite all of this, mayor Cilliers Brink views the adverse findings as an improvement from the previous report. This is shameful.
The relationship between the city and AfriForum is one area of concern that could be in contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act. The relationship is biased and offends against the principles of equity, fairness, competitiveness and inclusivity and works against the empowerment of SMMEs in townships. It is a corrupt relationship that promotes racial segregation.
Tshwane is facing a water crisis, taps are running dry, posing a serious health hazard to communities — and the risk of death, as witnessed in Hammanskraal.
The DA is a two-faced hypocrite and the worst of performers. Over its many years at the helm of the city, it has proven to be incapable of governing Tshwane in congruence with the White Paper on Local Government. South Africa is a unitary state. The DA lacks understanding of the role of the opposition in the building of a prosperous country.
Sidelining and undermining the role of the opposition and the interests of communities turns the city into an exclusive laager, the domain of the DA, contrary to participatory democracy. It is time the DA bids the citizens of Tshwane goodbye.
The DA needs to be rescued.
* Maepa is an adviser to the Gauteng premier
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