Frustrated Mamelodi community denied access to sporting facility as HM Pitje Stadium upgrades delays

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is disappointed that the lack of progress with regards to the demolition and reconstruction of the dilapidated HM Pitje Stadium has caused children and sporting clubs in the community to seek alternatives venues such as Loftus Versfeld and Lucas Moripe Stadiums in Atteridgeville, at great commuting cost for themselves. 

 This has naturally caused unnecessary frustration for Mamelodi residents in Tshwane.

The HM Pitje Stadium which was once the pride of the Mamelodi community and a home of the CAF champions, Mamelodi Sundown, but is now a drug den and a safe place to harbour criminals, putting the lives of residents in danger. 

The Gauteng MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR), Mbali Hlophe has indicated that the decision to demolish the stadium had been taken and was communicated to the residents during a stakeholder meeting on 27 February 2021. The demolition will take place in the current financial year, however there is no detailed timeline as to when this will happen.

MEC Hlophe was responding to my written questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).

According to the MEC, the estimated cost of the demolition is R20 million, and the reconstruction of the stadium remains a challenge as it is estimated that it will require R10 000 per seat for a new stadium.

This clearly indicates that the department has not yet budgeted for the reconstruction of the stadium yet there are aware that the communities are in dire need of proper sporting facilities such as this stadium, which will certainly nurture and develop young sporting talent from the grassroots level.

Furthermore, the department has underspent by R161.1 million for the 2020/21 financial year of which there is R844 000 irregular expenditure as a result of irregular appointments – money that could have been used to demolish and construct the stadium.

 This information was revealed in the department’s fourth quarter report for the said financial year.

The DA will continue exposing MEC Hlophe for dragging her feet on getting this stadium completed and will demand her to reprioritise the department’s expenditure plans to ensure proper budget allocation, focusing on the core mandate of the department of providing universal access to sports and facilities.

We will further write to MEC Hlophe and request time frames as to when the demolition process will begin and when the stadium will be reconstructed.

There are also media reports that Mamelodi Sundowns and the Motsepe Foundation is willing to assist the government to refurbish the stadium. I will also write to the club to ascertain what they are willing to assist with and facilitate an engagement between them and the department.

In our engagement with Motsepe foundation, our first priority is that we care about the people of Mamelodi and urge the residents to fully utilise and safeguard this facility and not to sell their only prime township sports asset away. We believe that our intervention will help to speed up the process of rebuilding the stadium to make it a wonderful facility to nurture talent to greater heights.

Local Government Elections are coming up in 2021! Visit check.da.org.za to check your voter registration status.

Mamelodi Thusong Centre causing residents great distress

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the unlawfully deployed Tshwane administrators to ensure that residents of Mamelodi have better access to municipal services and that the only operational Thusong Service Centre Centre in the area has adequate staff and proper working systems.

The DA visited the centre today as part of its overall campaign to pressurise the illegal administrators to improve service delivery in Mamelodi.

Angry residents queueing outside the centre complained that the systems being offline are a regular occcurence.

It does not help that the centre is Covid-19 ready with the necessary protocols in place when there is no cashier on site and customers have to walk to the local mall to pay their utility services bills.

The centre is the only place where residents can report general service delivery issues and deal with the municipality on a face-to-face basis. A similar one in Stanza Bopape has been closed due to security reasons.

The initial purpose of the Thusong Centre was to strengthen service delivery in communities.

The DA will ensure that the Mamelodi Thusong Centre does not become a white elephant like all the other failed ones countrywide under ANC control.

Furthermore, the DA has discovered that meter readers are failing the residents of Mamelodi.

Many accounts are being estimated, causing inflated accounts that anger residents. No accounts are currently going out, which causes a drop in payment rates by account holders in Mamelodi.

Mamelodi is experiencing major issues with regular and lengthy electricity outages, poor repair response times and a lack of infrastructure maintenance to such an extent that violent protests erupted last week.

The DA calls on the unlawful Tshwane administrators to urgently reinstate a cashier service at the Mamelodi customer care centre, re-open the Stanza Bopape customer care centre and beef up security there, upgrade the Nellmapius customer care centre to provide better access to municipal services and restore electricity supply and electricity maintenance in Mamelodi.

Gautrain Expansion Plans Continue To Exclude Majority Of Gauteng’s Commuters

Gauteng Legislature Roads and Transport Committee

Disclosures in the Gauteng Legislature Roads and Transport committee regarding the expansion of the Gautrain should be fully investigated as a matter of urgency.

The current, yet to be released, feasibility study will conclude that expansion is feasible given sufficient funds.

In the 2015/16 financial year the Gautrain enjoyed a subsidy of R1.56 billion. This is set to rise to R1.8 billion this year and consumes a sizeable portion of the Department’s R6.4 billion budget.

Whilst it is important to plan for the future transport needs of South Africa’s most populated province, it must be done in the most cost effective way possible while catering for the greatest number of passengers.

Gautrain fares are priced at too high a premium over PRASA rates, and cater for the more affluent, not for the majority of the provinces commuters.

Gautrain Management Agency

Auditor General staff criticised the Gautrain’s ridership contract, highlighting that it was poorly negotiated and stating that “even if the Gautrain was running 24/7/365 at full capacity the ridership guarantee would be payable”. This is strong criticism of the Department and its legal advisors.

Additionally, the underground network has only one tunnel which severely limits the number of train sets. The short-sighted approach of the designers, probably dictated by a huge escalation in construction costs from the original figure of R6-7 billion to over R32 billion, deserve to be criticised.

The Gautrain Management Agency is now hinting that only they can do extensions to the rail network as PRASA is still reeling from controversial purchase of locomotives which were too high for the overhead power lines.

The much needed rail links to the north-west of Johannesburg and Mamelodi to Naledi must enjoy priority

However, this cannot be done with an ailing fiscus. It cannot be resolved with the proposed Gautrain expansion plan, as high fares will continue to isolate the majority of commuters.

The DA will continue to monitor this issue to ensure that affordable transport services are prioritised over empire building exercises.

 

Media enquiries:

Dr Neil Campbell MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport

082 387 2540

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Tshwane ANC Violence: DA Calls For Calm

Violence in City of Tshwane

Tonight I call for calm in the City of Tshwane after the violence that erupted in Atteridgeville, Mamelodi, Soshanguve and Hammanskraal today – over the ANC’s imposed Mayoral Candidate, Thoko Didiza – escalated this evening.

The DA condemns the factions within the ANC that are fanning the flames of violence.

Tshwane burns this evening as a result of a party at war with itself. That war has now spilled onto our streets, placing the people of Tshwane at risk.

This violence is a symptom of ANC factionalism and in-fighting after President Zuma and Luthuli House defied the local ANC by imposing an outsider to run for the Mayor of the Capital. The collateral damage in this battle for power are the people of Tshwane.

Inherent Factionalism

These are not the actions of a party that can move this City forward. This ANC infighting and obscene violence shows why we need change in Tshwane.

This mess is of Luthuli House’s making; the national leadership of the ANC must now step in and step up to prevent any loss of life and further damage to property.

I challenge ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe to intervene and stop the ANC infighting spilling further onto the streets of our City.

Let us put the future of Tshwane first and put the factionalism inherent to the ANC behind us.

On 3 August 2016 let us vote for change that will move this City forward again.
Media enquiries:
Motheo Mtimkulu
Media Manager: Tshwane Mayoral Campaign
083 728 0554

DA Debates Gauteng Premier’s 2014/15 Annual Report

Speech by: Jack Bloom MPL

 “Wheels of delivery slow to turn in Premier’s office”

  • It is a sad comment after 21 years of single party rule in Gauteng that there is still not a fully staffed premier’s office to do its vital work in leading this province.
  • There were 122 cases of financial misconduct, mostly for theft, fraud and corruption, but guess how many officials face criminal charges for this. Only four officials, which is a prosecution rate of 3 percent.
  • Another drain on resources is the former Premier’s Official residence in Bryanston. R4.2 million has been spent on it since May last year when the current premier decided not to live there.
  • Honourable Premier, it is inexcusable to continue to pay money on this white elephant which should be sold as soon as possible.

The full speech can be obtained here.

 

 

Speech by: Justus de Goede MPL

“Premier Makhura: A man of plans, but of little action”

  • The Ntirhisano Rapid Response War Room has, according to the report, merely recorded “complaints dealt with efficiently”. In contrast to the hot line, where figures are produced for results, there is no further information on the nature or quantity of these resolved complaints.
  • The Gauteng Infrastructure Coordinating Committee and in particular its offshoot, the Technical GICC, is supposed to streamline intergovernmental relations, yet there is no indication in the report back of what the meetings actually produced.
  • I do notice that the Premier has been in Tshwane several times, notably in Mamelodi, where I often find myself. I hope that he is speaking frankly to the Executive Mayor about matters like the Metro’s rapid transit system and smart electricity meters.

The full speech can be obtained here.

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Spokesperson on the Office of the Premier

082 333 4222

 

Justus de Goede MPL

DA Gauteng Spokesperson on the Office of the Premier

060 558 8305

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#Battleground Tshwane: the ANC has failed residents of Ward 16, Mamelodi

Today, ahead of tomorrow’s by-election in Mamelodi Ward 16, I visited the area and was accompanied by Deborah Ramatsetse, the DA’s candidate contesting tomorrow’s election.

It is clear that the ANC run Tshwane municipality has failed to deliver to residents living in Ward 16.

I visited a number of homes where there is no running water or sanitation. Residents were moved to the area in 1998, seventeen years ago, but still have not received these basic services from the City of Tshwane.

The City has also failed to maintain the few roads that have been tarred in the area, which means these streets are now crumbling and littered with potholes.

Open spaces have also been neglected and have been overrun by criminals, which means young people living in Ward 16 do not have access to safe recreational areas.

Many residents I have spoken to have no hope for the future. They do not have access to the opportunities they need to escape the cycle of poverty they are trapped in.

The lack of basic services in Ward 16 is an assault on the human dignity of residents and shows how the ANC leadership in the City of Tshwane is only focused on benefiting themselves, their family and friends. They do not care about improving the lives of citizens.

Ward 16 in Mamelodi and many other areas in Tshwane shows that, under the current ANC government, the City is going in the wrong direction.

The DA is committed to ensuring that Tshwane moves in the right direction again and that everyone has access to opportunities, not just a select few.

We are committed to stopping corruption and ensuring that every cent of public money is spent on delivering services to communities, including the residents of Ward 16 who have been waiting for years for running water and working toilets.

We also want to make our communities safe again by ensuring the metro police works for citizens and that drug dealers are put behind bars.

Where the DA governs, we provide the greatest number of free basic services to the poor;  we do so for free for those who earn below a threshold, and do so much better than ANC-governed municipalities.

The residents of Mamelodi have already shown their unhappiness with the ANC run Tshwane municipality, through recent service delivery protests in the area.

But the only way to remove the ANC from power in Tshwane is through the ballot box.

The ANC has less than 50% support in Tshwane now and is losing support on a daily basis.

We therefore encourage residents living in Ward 16, to vote for change during tomorrow’s by-election – by voting for the DA.

The DA is set on winning the City of Tshwane in next year’s local government election. Together, with Tshwane residents we can stop the cancer of corruption, grow the economy, create jobs and ensure that all citizens have access to services and opportunities.

Media enquiries:

Solly Msimanga
DA Mayoral Candidate for Tshwane
083 612 0492

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Mamelodi Bus Violence: Rule of Law must be Enforced

Taxi Operators VS Provincial Department of Roads and Transport

The DA condemns in the strongest sense the violence that has denied residents of Mamelodi, Tshwane, their right to safely commute to and from work.

Disputes between taxi operators and the Provincial Department of Roads and Transport, who signed a three month contract with Passenger Rail of South Africa’s subsidiary bus company Autopax, has left thousands of commuters stranded – with violence now escalating to the point where many have been caught up in the conflict.

Six months ago, when PUTCO indicated it would be terminating its services due to inefficient bus subsidies administered by the provincial department, the DA insisted that the department deal with the matter timeously to avoid any impact this would have on commuters.

Adequate Stakeholder Engagement

The signing of the contract with Autopax was done in such a manner that sufficient oversight into the awarding of the tender was sidestepped, as the announcement was made after the contract was signed.

Had proper oversight been conducted, adequate stakeholder engagement could have taken place – which would have negated the violence that is currently playing out in Mamelodi.

Rule of Law

This being said, the rule of law must be applied equitably and those found transgressing it must be brought to book.

The wilful destruction and malicious damage to property are serious offences.

So too is harm caused to commuters who are in dire need of these public services.

This shambolic affair will continue to entrench Apartheid spatial planning by keeping the residents of Mamelodi away from economic centres of growth.

It will also have a knock on effect of increased job loss and poverty.

Gauteng Premier Makhura must take strong action against Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi for allowing the situation in Mamelodi to deteriorate to such an extent that people’s lives have been placed in danger.

These are not the actions of a responsive, caring government but those of one that continues to neglect the provinces marginalised people.

 

Media enquiries:

John Moodey MPL

DA Gauteng Provincial Leader

082 960 3743

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Mamelodi Commuters are Economically Excluded by Bus Fiasco

Autopax

Stranded commuters in Mamelodi have been put on the back foot by the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRT) and the City of Tshwane (CoT) who failed to adequately provide viable cost-effective alternative public transport ahead of the closure of several PUTCO services.

An already dilapidated and defunct CoT bus service is not in a position to carry the load previously serviced by PUTCO, it can hardly service its existing routes.

GDRT’s commitment to using Autopax as an alternative to PUTCO is a stopgap move too late. The R18 million budget, as announced by GRDT MEC, Ismail Vadi, will not be adequate to maintain a long term contract.

High Fares

It has also been alleged by some commuters who made use of the service this morning that the new Autopax fare is dramatically higher than that of PUTCO.

In a puzzling announcement made by the CoT that it is negotiating with another bus operator to take over this route, the public can be forgiven for being confused.

Blame must be placed squarely at the feet of GDRT and CoT.

Both these entities have worked in silos and it is clear this action is now playing havoc with the lives of commuters.

Tardy Government Services

In a contracting and receding economy, job security is critical. Many of these commuters are already at a disadvantage as a result of Apartheid spatial planning and the last thing they can afford is to be made jobless as a result of tardy government services.

The DA has on numerous occasions warned MEC Vadi’s department that this issue would negatively impact the lives of commuters and the economy of Gauteng. Despite this, Province has failed to heed these warnings and has jeopardised job security for thousands in the province.

More work needs to be done on an intergovernmental level to ensure that residents across Gauteng, particularly those in economically excluded areas such as Mamelodi are provided with quality services to ensure greater prosperity.

 

Media enquiries:
Justus de Goede MPL
DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Transport
060 558 8305

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SPEECH BY MR JUSTUS DE GOEDE, MPL IN THE BUDGET DEBATE ON ROADS AND TRANSPORT DELIVERED IN THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE ON TUESDAY, 23 JUNE 2015

Efficient and extensive public transport key to economic freedom for all

Madam Speaker

My reaction to the Roads and Transport 2015/16 budget is disappointment at the lack of emphasis on public transport in Gauteng.

Efficient and extensive public transportation networks are key to unlocking economic freedom for all in Gauteng, yet this goal continues to remain elusive.

In many ways, the planning gridlock we are in is of our own making. MEC Ismail Vadi has admitted that we cannot adequately fund roads to build ourselves out of the transport problems we are experiencing.

In my view, we are looking in the wrong direction; officials and lawmakers alike surely have the task of making public transport work as easily and as well as possible.

We can, if we work intelligently, change the public transport systems which have either never functioned fully or limped along for years as dysfunctional agencies of government.

A few examples to illustrate the possibilities, Madam Speaker:

From interaction with bus companies benefitting from the operating subsidy, it is clear that the administration of the subsidy and the present contract system is not working and operators are under great pressure to maintain economically viable routes.

Only last week, PUTCO announced that it would cease serving Mamelodi and several other areas at the end of the month and no solution has been proposed.

Only now, and we welcome this, is the possibility of devolving the subsidy to municipal level being investigated.

Unfortunately, expectations are not high that the municipalities, given their own record of failed bus services, will fare any better. Nevertheless, the experiment is worth a try.

Another chronic source of public frustration is the state of testing and licencing centres; we have engaged the officials responsible for some of these centres and it appears that it is not always solely the fault of officials but that several of the systems being applied in the centres need urgent attention.

Why, for example, does eye testing have to be done in the DLTCs and not by approved optometrists; why is there not a crash programme of building centres, given that demand for these services has increased  tenfold  and their structures are outdated?

Only R 37 million is budgeted for the current and outer MTREF years for DLTC construction and a mere R 21 million for upgrading of facilities over the same period, while design takes a big chunk of the budget.

This is slowing down the ball; it is our direct responsibility to the public. Why do the driving schools appeal year after year to the province to review regulations which actively hamper their activities and expose them further to the endemic corruption amongst officials?

The state of public transport in our municipalities, in particular the Gauteng Metros, is very concerning; in at least two of them, bus services have been allowed to implode, and in Tshwane, the municipality is about to commit a major traffic planning error around the BRT system, which will have to be reversed at great cost.

Media reports indicate that Johannesburg is on the same course and I ask the MEC whether we can afford to sit with arms folded while these costly mistakes are being made.

I hear the arguments about autonomous spheres of government, but benign neglect is no excuse. Provinces are surely not without a voice when policy is made or changed.

The budget does not address a vital element of transport in the province; with three contiguous Metros and inseparable transport links, surely a Transport Authority is an absolute necessity and not a luxury.

Without coordination, we remain prisoners of systems which do not and cannot work.  I appeal to MEC Vadi, who I believe is genuinely concerned and involved, to use his financial oversight powers to at least guide spending to where it can make a difference.

Dr Campbell has eloquently dealt with the proposed extension of the Gautrain network and I fully endorse his view that this elegant and efficient system cannot provide a mass public transport system; a profound rethink is needed before we commit to a very expensive and basically limited solution.

Speaker, in conclusion, I am saddened that the ruling Party can put so much time and energy into negatively regulating areas like tourism, agriculture and free enterprise and give such scant attention to modest and doable changes that could significantly change lives for the better.