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City of Joburg must speed up IPP program

Since 12 April, stage 6 loadshedding was again imposed on the nation, with Eskom citing capacity constraints.

The previous DA-led administration under former Executive Mayor Dr. Mpho Phalatse had a practical and actionable plan to save Joburg residents and businesses from loadshedding. With a budget of R 401 million announced in January, the City would have been able to reduce loadshedding by 3 stages for its residents and businesses. However, since the ANC-EFF coalition took power in Johannesburg no progress has been made.

Whilst I was the MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services (EIS), City Power and my team worked tirelessly for 8 months to develop the Alternative Energy Management strategy (AEM strategy) which incorporated the Independent Power Producers procurement program (IPP program), together with supporting programs, so that the city would be able to avert loadshedding substantially and be less dependent on Eskom.

If the AEM strategy and the IPP program had been done quickly by the new administration, the residential and commercial sectors in the City would have experienced fewer stages of loadshedding right now.

The DA in Johannesburg understands that the closing date of the IPP program was extended to 31 March but to date, the City’s not-so-new executives have not reported back nor have they taken the residents into confidence on the progress. The City remains in the “dark” as to whether the AEM strategy, the IPP program and the supporting strategies will continue and receive the required resources and support for implementation.

We call on Mayor Amad Thapelo together with his MMC: EIS to urgently release a progress report on the IPP program and their plan to reduce loadshedding in the City, even if it means that they need to admit the continuation of the AEM project and IPP program developed under the DA-led administration, it would be to the benefit of everyone in the City.

The DA caucus in Joburg will continue to hold the executive to account and ensure that non-negotiable issues such as maintaining a constant power supply are not ignored for political reasons. Written questions and an urgent debate in council will be submitted to ensure that these long-overdue answers are not concealed from the people of Johannesburg.

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DA IEC complaint: City of Joburg’s dirty lies

The DA condemn’s the latest comments by the City of Joburg, alleging that its unashamed ANC electioneering is in fact lawful, and falls with within its responsibility to “inform residents of progress towards fulfilling its mandate.”

This is a blatant distortion of the truth and an attempt to misinform the public of its abuse of taxpayer’s money.

The latest advert aired by the City of Joburg reads as follows:

“A great city like Joburg deserves great leadership, so it’s good to know that Joburg executive mayor, counsellor Parks Tau, was recently nominated as an African candidate for the United Cities and Local Government co-Presidency and the MEC for Health and Social Development was elected Vice President of the Network for Locally Elected Women of Africa, an Integral part of United Cities and Local Governance Africa. Clearly the city of Joburg is in good hands. Joburg, a world class African city.”

One is left asking, how does this qualify as informing residents of progress made by the City towards fulfilling its mandate?

It is clear that the City of Joburg’s administration has been filled by ANC deployees who will do anything to ensure the ANC is kept in power.

As the elections fast approach and the ANC grows more anxious about losing the City of Joburg to the DA, we are seeing deliberate misuse and abuse of taxpayer’s money.

Millions of rands have been spent on newspaper adverts, billboards, and radio adverts over the past three months in an attempt to prop up Tau’s administration. This excessive and wasteful expenditure is in the wake of disastrous failures by the ANC-run City to create jobs, cut corruption, and ensure quality service delivery to all.

It amounts to millions of rands of lost opportunities to create jobs for the City’s 869 000 unemployed people. In fact, unemployment has increased by nearly 4% over Tau’s term in office, with 180 000 people being added to the ranks of the unemployed.

On Friday, 8 July, the DA laid an official complaint with the IEC. The DA called on the CEO of the IEC to:

  • Instruct Mayor Tau and the ANC to stop contravening the Code immediately, specifically by desisting with gratuitous and excessive advertising, using public funds to promote himself and the ANC whom he represents.
  • Approach the Electoral Court if necessary, to enforce the Code against Mayor Tau and the ANC, as they are empowered to do and, I submit, as is their duty under section 77 of the Municipal Electoral Act.

We requested the IEC to respond to our complaint by 12h00 tomorrow, 12 July 2016. We hope that the IEC will use this opportunity to cement its independence and uphold its duty to ensure the elections are both free and fair.

The abuse of authority and public funds by Mayor Tau and the ANC in the City is an unacceptable threat to the fairness of the elections on 3 August.

Should the IEC fail to take strong action against Tau, the DA will consider its legal options against Mayor Tau, as well as the IEC, in the interest of upholding the Code of Conduct, the Constitution, and South Africa’s hard fought democracy.

For too long, the ANC has broken its promises and lost the trust of the people of Johannesburg.

We are confident that the public will see through the City of Joburg’s dirty lies, and will punish Tau at the polls for abusing their money.

 

Herman Mashaba

DA Mayoral Candidate for Johannesburg

[IMAGE SOURCE]

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Joburg human rights abuses: HRC agrees to investigate

Democratic Alliance statement by

Herman Mashaba

DA Mayoral Candidate for Johannesburg

 

Joburg human rights abuses: HRC agrees to investigate

The DA is delighted at the Human Rights Commission’s decision to investigate the City of Johannesburg for rights abuses across the city.

This follows the DA’s complaint lodged in late March regarding living conditions in, among others, Zandspruit, KwaMaiMai, and hostels in Alexandra.

The complaint was sought to hold Mayor Parks Tau and his administration, who have for too long ignored the plight of Joburg’s poorest and most vulnerable, to account.

In the upcoming local government election people hold the power to vote for change, and have the choice to vote in a DA-led city government.

A DA government in Johannesburg will deliver functioning sewerage infrastructure, running water and electricity, and spend more public money on providing services to our poorest communities.

The DA will bring change to Johannesburg just as we have done where we already govern.

Change is coming to Johannesburg, because where the DA governs, life is better.

 

Media enquiries:

Willie Venter

Director: Communications and research

060 963 8260

photo credit:  http://www.sahrc.org.za/

 

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DA welcomes JMPD deployment to protect refuse collectors

The DA welcomes the City of Johannesburg’s decision to heed the DA call made last week, to have Metro Police officers protect auxiliary refuse collectors while the protracted Pikitup strike drags on.

This is a vindication of the DA’s assertion that the City of Joburg was not doing enough to work around the Pikitup strike, or to protect private refuse collectors.

The city’s response to the Pikitup strike has been woefully inadequate. Striking workers have been left to rampage unchecked while Mayor Parks Tau has been torn between his allegiances to the City, the Pikitup entity and the unions on strike.

In alliance with COSATU unions, the ANC is weak and ineffectual at solving strike action.

Recognising rubbish collection as an essential service, a DA-led city government would not allow strike action to affect residents for this ridiculously protracted time.

Enormous amounts of rotten rubbish strewn in our communities are leaving all people unsafe and in unhealthy environments.

Our poorest communities are especially at risk, as rubbish now lies where children play, where old people walk and live and is piling up at the front doors of homes.

In contrast, in the City of Cape Town where the DA governs, a large part of rubbish collection is managed by the City under its direct control, along with a number of private contractors, under close supervision of the city.

This creates an environment of competitive pricing and service delivery, as well as effective contingency planning in the event of industrial action.

It is this form of administration Johannesburg’s people can look forward to when they vote for change in the coming local government elections, and vote the DA into government.

The DA will bring change to Johannesburg, change that brings effective and quality service delivery to all.

Media enquiries:

Willie Venter

Director: Communications and research

060 963 8260