Press Statement by – James Masango DA Mayoral Candidate Govan Mbeki Local Municipality
Govan Mbeki has decided to host the State of the Municipality address amid financial difficulties.
Residents are without consistent water supply and infrastructure is deteriorating.
We urge the municipality to be wary of spending on such events and prioritise service delivery.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Govan Mbeki Municipality condemns the municipality’s decision to host the State of the Municipality Address (SOMA). As a result, the DA caucus in this municipality has decided not to attend this event.
Once again, the ANC led municipality is misleading residents and spending taxpayers money on lavish events while service delivery is non-existent.
The truth of the matter is that this event is nothing but a wasteful expenditure exercise. Govan Mbeki is confronted with service delivery challenges. The municipality’s failure to service its creditors on time also demonstrates the institution’s financial crisis.
Residents continue to experience deteriorating roads, sewer spillages, water losses, unreliable service delivery, illegal dumping, infrastructure decay and an economy that is failing to create sufficient opportunities for our people.
With this in mind, we call on the municipality to take the following steps:
* Repair and maintain infrastructure
* Take accountability and dispatch technicians to deal with sewer spillages
* Stimulate the local economy
* Investigate and eliminate corruption
* Adhere to the Municipal Structures Act and Municipal Finance Management Act
The mayor’s speech is more of a campaign dialogue aimed at luring gullible voters back to the ANC.The notion that Govan Mbeki will be the best municipality in Mpumalanga by 2030 is fictitious.
Govan Mbeki is runned by cadres who are self-centred. This is another erroneous decision from a municipality that has failed to live up to expectations and carry out its constitutional mandate to its residents. Notably, the recently adopted an unfunded budget, this goes to show the maladam administration residents are subjected to.
The DA’s decision to boycott this event is a protest against misplaced priorities and a call for leadership that places residents before political spectacle.
The DA remains committed to holding the administration accountable and will continue fighting for clean governance, financial responsibility, economic growth and reliable service delivery for every resident of Govan Mbeki.
For media enquiries:
James Masango MPL
DA Mayoral Candidate
082 891 0717