THE key policy issues such as land redistribution, job-creation, radical economic transformation, access to water and primary health care are some of the central pillars of the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) local government elections manifesto, and the party’s leader Julius Malema said that through this crucial blueprint document, the EFF will ascend to power and take over many municipalities after November 1.
The EFF launched its local government elections manifesto at the Gandhi Square in Johannesburg, where the party also renamed its headquarters after South Africa’s struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
The firebrand EFF leader said the party’s manifesto was a product of consultations with different sections of society. He says students say municipalities must play a role in student accommodation.
He said the manifesto expressed the aspirations and wishes of people, and was a contract of commitments and not a book of promises, adding that the commitments are made from an informed view.
“Our manifesto is based on the truthful observation that our people are landless, jobless. That local government is incapable. Many people in SA don’t have access to water. That many people still stay in shacks with no toilets, don’t have electricity,” said Malema.
He said under an EFF administration, tenders would be abolished and insourcing of all service providers would be employed by the municipality.
“Every EFF municipality will abolish tenders and insource the following services – security services, cleaning services, gardening, horticulture, and landscaping services,” said Malema.
He added: “Every EFF municipality will abolish use of consultants and establish internal engineering and spatial planning units by December 2023.”
Among other things, Malema said the EFF would be a safe place for women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
He further said that every municipality will have a fire station and sub-station, and all street vendors will be protected by the EFF municipality.
He said plans to build houses and suburbs must be submitted and feedback will be given within a month.
“Women will get 50% access to land to jobs, and every clinic will have two ambulances and old equipment must be replaced,” said Malema.
He added that the EFF municipalities would fill all vacant positions by December 2022.
He also announced that every EFF municipality would implement property wealth tax to subsidise indigent families.
“Every EFF municipality will publish an annual report of annual allocation from the national budget with a corresponding report of access to free basic service,” said Malema.
“Every EFF municipality will submit a list of indigent households within its jurisdiction to Eskom, where electricity is supplied directly from Eskom for indigent households to receive electricity by November 2022. Every EFF municipality will establish indigent households’ units in the mayor’s office by June 2022.”
He said that in every EFF municipality, households which depend on social grants would qualify for free basic services without having to register on the indigent database.
“EFF will continue to fight for the increase of social grants,” he said.
He also said every EFF municipality would establish construction companies that would employ artisans and engineers on a fulltime basis to build, refurbish and maintain all municipal infrastructure.
- Inside Politics
