DA submits candidates in every ward in Gauteng

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has successfully submitted candidates in every ward to contest the upcoming Local Government Elections, which will be held on 1 November 2021.

This follows a very rigorous and thorough selection process.

We are excited that every ward across Gauteng will have an opportunity to vote for a DA candidate. This speaks to our commitment to bring real change in every community through a DA-led government.

The DA is the only party that is big enough to challenge and beat the ANC. Smaller political parties do not have the same footprint that can unseat the ANC and get things done. A strong DA remains the best defence against the rise of the EFF.

The DA’s election campaign is already progressing at full steam. Yesterday, our DA Mayoral candidate, Randall Williams, unveiled 107 candidates who will be contesting all the wards in Tshwane.

Today our Mayoral candidate, Refiloe Nt’sekhe, will be launching her vision and plan to get services on track in Ekurhuleni Local Municipality.

Our Mayoral candidates for Johannesburg, Midvaal and Mogale City together with our DA public representatives and activists from across the province are on the ground daily engaging with communities about the DA difference.

We are campaigning for the win, to put in a capable DA-led government in every municipality, to restore services, stop the rot and get things done.

Local Government Elections are coming up! Visit check.da.org.za to check your voter registration status.

DA West Rand Leadership Election Results

We are delighted to announce the results of the Leadership Elections which took place at at the Democratic Alliance (DA) West Rand regional congress in Randfontein today.

This year, the Covid-19 pandemic has made it necessary to host congresses differently than in previous years. The congress proceeded at a hybrid venue, completely in line with the regulations.

The election results were compliant with all DA election requirements and rules. They were signed off by myself as presiding officer, as well as the candidates’ party agents who oversaw the voting process.

All individuals who observed voting consider the elections free and fair.

The results of the elections are:

Regional Chairperson
Julius Jacques

Regional Deputy Chairperson
Cilliers Ina

Regional Finance Chairperson
Blake Brian

Non-public representatives to Federal Council
Steenkamp Carl

We extend our congratulations to all elected candidates as we enter an exciting new chapter of Achieving Real Growth in Gauteng.

DA welcomes dismissal of Councillor’s case

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the South Gauteng High Court’s judgement which dismissed suspended DA City of Ekhuruleni Councillor, Thina Bambeni’s ill-conceived urgent bid to have the Magistrate recused. The matter was dismissed with costs.

Bambeni filed a complaint in July 2018. An internal party disciplinary committee dismissed her complaint as unsubstantiated and without evidence.

For months, Bambeni waged a relentless and sustained campaign against the DA and its public representatives for her own narrow personal interests.

Today she received a setback when the judgement found that the matter was not urgent and that no case had been made out for the relief sought.

The court has vindicated our assertion that Bambeni’s application was a desperate attempt to bring the DA into disrepute.

The DA will continue to fend off the unlawful and malicious campaign by Councillor Bambeni against the party and its members, and will continue to ensure that its disciplinary processes are dealt with in a fair and efficient manner.

DA-led Midvaal Municipality an example to uphold

The Democratic Alliance (DA) applauds the announcement by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) for ranking the DA-led Midvaal Local Municipality as the most stable municipality in Gauteng.

SALGA also awarded Midvaal a clean audit award, for achieving an unqualified audit for the 2018/19 financial year.

This is a win for the people of Midvaal and shows what hard work and dedication can achieve.

It is further evidence of good governance. Working with the people of Midvaal, Mayor Bongani Baloyi has spent the full budget of R1.34 billion wisely and responsibly as it was meant to be spent.

Midvaal is the only municipality to get a clean audit in Gauteng, and it means that its financials are reliable, compliant and on par with legislation and reporting performance standards.

The DA-run Midvaal has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to misusing money.

Where we govern as the DA, we will do our utmost to ensure that taxpayers’ money is spent on delivering services efficiently to our communities.

The DA commends Mayor Baloyi and his team, and most of all, we commend the people of Midvaal for their support.

DA concerned about appointment of new Acting CEO for Gauteng Film Commission

The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes with concern the appointment of Shane Maja as the new Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC).

Since 23 February 2017 when Mr Andile Mbeki the CEO was placed on suspension this entity has been run by acting CEOs.

Shane Maja took over from Simangele Sekgobela who has been acting in the same position since 2017.

This clearly indicates that the appointment of a proper CEO seems to be a challenge for this entity.

We cannot have an institution that operates with acting senior executives for years while a platform to have appointed full-time office bearers exists.

The GFC has an important function to play in supporting the development of the film industry and it cannot be that it is left unstable for such a long time.

This provincial entity needs a full-time captain to steer this ship and it can no longer rely on acting CEOs.

I have tabled written questions to the Gauteng MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR), Mbali Hlophe to ascertain why this entity has not yet appointed a CEO, why is this entity keeps appointing acting CEOs, and whether proper recruitment processes were followed in hiring Shane Majola and what the required qualifications are for the CEO position.

Gauteng ANC has no bite

The participation of the Gauteng ANC in today’s COSATU-led march against state capture is a farce that seeks only to score political points and has nothing to do with resolving the unrelenting looting of state coffers.

If the ANC in Gauteng truly had the gusto to condemn state capture outright, it would call for the resignation of President Jacob Zuma who has been found to be wanting by the highest court in the land.

His close links to the Gupta family, and the scandals around kick-backs to his family and friends, places him at the epicenter of this nefarious web.

While the leadership of the ANC in Gauteng have not yet placed their cards on the table about who they will back in December’s elective conference, there is clear indication already that with or without President Zuma, the status quo is set to remain. The ANC cannot and will not self-correct.

Come 2019, residents of Gauteng and citizens across South Africa will have the opportunity to take action against those who have abused the freedoms that so many suffered to achieve. They will vote for the DA.

In 2019, the Gauteng ANC will be remembered for being on the wrong side of history.

Merafong Ward Committee elections a chaotic sham

11 May 2017

The ANC is thwarting fair electoral practice in Merafong as the municipality does not have an official policy that governs the election of ward committees. The pending ward committee elections are in breach of the Municipal Systems Act, which stipulates that more than seven days’ notice must be given before such elections are held.

I will write to the Gauteng MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Paul Mashatile, to request that his department facilitates the implementation of a policy at Merafong that will govern ward committee elections. I will also log a formal complaint with the IEC in the region.

Worryingly, the Speaker told the DA that he needs to get these elections done as he is under a great deal of pressure from the ANC caucus. This follows the cancellation of the initial round of ward committee elections which were scheduled to take place at the end of February. The previous cancellation was due a lack of funds. The Speaker also previously failed to follow the correct procedure in formally approaching the IEC to handle the election of ward committees, as well as having failed to provide a budget for the IEC to do so.

On Monday, 8 May 2017, The Speaker’s office gave notice to ward Councillors that ward committee elections will take place this coming Sunday, 14 May 2017, less than a week from the date of announcement. To make matters worse, the IEC was completely unaware that these elections were taking place until as late as Tuesday, 9 May 2017.

In many wards, less than 10 nominations were received and Councillors have been told to ‘co-opt’ members. There is also no evidence of public participation as these elections were not advertised at all.

Councillors are expected to manage the logistical arrangements for these elections. This goes against the grain of good practice as ward Councillors should merely observe these elections. It is rather the municipality that is meant to drive the election processes, in a fair and transparent manner.

The ANC is exerting undue influence in these ward committee elections. The extent to which these elections are being manipulated for the sake of party gains is a matter of great concern.

The DA will continue to monitor these elections. We remain committed to the principle of free and fair elections, in the face of a self-serving ANC.

Media Enquiries

Ina Cilliers MPL
DA Merafong Constituency Head
060 556 4344

Anneke Scheepers
DA Gauteng Communications Manager
079 511 7501

R15.2 million allocated for all public holidays in Gauteng

In a written response to a DA question, Gauteng Premier David Makhura revealed that R15.2 million of the provincial budget will be spent on public holidays in the province.

This is a colossal waste of public funds as money could be better spent in developing the township economy and assisting the 242 000 young people that are unemployed in the province with finding a job.

The Premier revealed the breakdown of costs per public holiday as follows:

Freedom Day – 27 April R2.4 million
Workers Day – 1 May R200 000
Youth Day – 16 June R3.2 million
Women’s Day – 9 August R2.5 million
Heritage Day – 24 September R8 million + R2.5million from Arts & Culture budget

The Premier and the ANC have only paid lip service to the “radical economic transformation” they wish to implement in the province.

The provincial government could have collaborated with civil society, trade unions and private organisations to drastically cut expenditure and save money on these days of national celebration.

However, the ANC-run province of Gauteng will now further extend a hand of patronage to service providers closely linked to their organisation.

The DA will submit further questions on these celebrations to ascertain the exact amount of money spent, supply chain management processes followed and the procurement of service providers in order to celebrate these days.

It is disingenuous that jobseekers in the province struggle to find work whilst millions of rands are spent on frivolous ribbon-cutting exercises.

Media Enquiries

Kingsol Chabalala MPL
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts, Culture and Heritage
060 558 8299

Yaseen Carelse
Media and Issues Specialist
073 895 5789

DA congratulates Midvaal on receiving the 2016 Diamond Arrow Award

The DA congratulates the Midvaal Municipality on being named the best performing municipality in the Sedibeng District, by PMR Africa. The municipality has received the Diamond Arrow Award for outstanding delivery in 2016.

The award is a tribute to the standard of excellence that marks DA governments.

Midvaal Municipality was celebrated as being the top performer in terms of social upliftment, attracting foreign investment, fighting crime, developing and enhancing infrastructure and maintaining a clean environment.

Performing well in these areas means that the municipality is delivering on the obligation that it has to the people of Midvaal, that is to create an environment where they can live lives that they value.

DA governed municipalities are a beacon of South Africa’s potential during the trying times that our nation faces. They are a testament to the difference that a DA government makes. The DA is committed to governing well to attract investment and enable business growth that creates jobs.
 
 
Media Enquiries

 
John Moodey MPL
DA Gauteng Leader
082 960 3743
 
Anneke Scheepers
DA Gauteng Communications Manager
079 511 7501

SANRAL must innovate not prosecute

 

The South African Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) has finally admitted that due to non-compliance, the system of e-Tolling that it implemented in Gauteng has not successfully generated the revenue it needs to upgrade road networks, and in future, will have to look to alternative models of funding.

 

Since the inception of e-Tolls on Gauteng’s roads, the DA has strongly condemned the double taxation of motorists and the knock-on effect that this has had on the province’s economy.

 

A nominal, ring-fenced fuel levy should have been introduced to collect monies owed to pay back the bonds SANRAL raised to complete the first phase of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. However, likely suspicious practises saw the introduction of a convoluted e-Toll collection system, which gave rise to astronomical collection fees to collect monies owed by motorists, all of which make their way offshore.

 

Instead of innovating and thinking out the box, SANRAL will waste more money – which could be pumped back into this project as well as future road projects, to seek legal action against motorists who refuse to pay for a system which they simply cannot afford.

 

SANRAL has based its legal argument on a default judgement where the defendant failed to appear in court to defend themselves. However, once legal proceedings get underway, it is highly likely that those who have been summoned by SANRAL will defend themselves in court and that these cases will be thrown out.

 

SANRAL should look to more long-term, sustainable solutions to fund roads that it intends to build as it is clearly evident that e-Tolls are not only unjust but unsustainable.

 

The DA will continue to fight against e-Tolls and support organisations like OUTA who have pledged to defend motorists in court.

Media Enquiries

Fred Nel MPL
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport
083 263 2427

Warren Gwilt
Media Manager
073 601 6144