THE best run municipalities, in terms of administration, economic development and service delivery, are those governed by the Democratic Alliance, party leader John Steenhuisen said during the virtual launch of his party’s manifesto on Saturday ahead of the Local Government Elections in November.
According to an independent research, of the top 20 best performing municipalities, 15 are run by the DA, either alone or in a coalition.
“The DA governs less than 10% of South Africa’s municipalities, but the top 5 performing municipalities are all DA-run … And here I’m talking about municipalities run by the DA. Whether it’s a town like Stellenbosch or Mossel Bay, whether it’s Kouga in Eastern Cape or Midvaal in Gauteng, the contrast between these municipalities and those run by the ANC is staggering,” said Steenhuisen, adding that ‘ours is a country where small islands of excellence still exist in this sea of local government failure and neglect’.
He added: “And it doesn’t matter which independent criteria you use – whether we’re talking clean audits in the Auditor-General’s report, whether we’re talking municipal rankings by Ratings Afrika… whether we’re talking the results of the Citizen Satisfaction Index, or whether we’re talking the unemployment numbers put out by Stats SA, DA governments consistently come out on top.”
“Sometimes when people go to Cape Town they say it feels like another country. That is not surprising, the DA has governed municipalities in the Western Cape longer than anywhere else and most with a majority. Meaning that we have had an opportunity to get things done without having to compromise on clean governance, on getting the basics right, and on providing support to the poorest households.”
“There is nothing special about Cape Town that cannot be repeated in every other city. It’s as much a South African city like any other. But one that has known good governance and service delivery. We will do our best to make coalitions work where they are viable, but you owe it to yourselves and to your family to experience at least once in your lifetime what only a DA majority can deliver.”
Steenhuisen said most municipalities run by the ANC are currently non-functioning and under administration because of the total collapse of local government.
“Ours is a country where hundreds of municipalities can no longer collect payment from residents for services like electricity and water, and end up owing these utilities billions of rands, and are constantly on the verge of disconnection,” said Steenhuisen.
“We cannot accept the demise of all these local economies as an inevitable fate. These are things that can be changed – things that are worth fighting for. We dare not write off any town.”
He urged voters, young and old, to vote for his party, saying the DA-controlled municipalities offers a vastly different outcome than ANC-led municipalities, which are currently imploding.
“For starters, our party is obsessed with doing the basics well – streamlining and correcting our systems until they are efficient and entirely focused on solving the problem, whether this is collecting refuse, filling potholes or keeping people safe,” he said.
“This contrast is so unmistakable that in some places you can literally see the DA difference in the road under your feet as you cross the boundary.”
“We also believe in employing only fit-for-purpose individuals to government, and then demanding accountability from them. Because this is the only way to build a capable state.”
“We have zero-tolerance for corruption, and we have an obsession to reduce any un-authorised or irregular expenditure as low as we possibly can. In other words, to spend every cent of public money in the most efficient manner, where it makes an impact.”
- Inside Politics
