Some former Tshwane MMCs dismiss claims of ignoring service delivery in townships
The capital city’s mayoral committee has been dissolved, following the successful motion of no confidence against Mayor Cilliers Brink on Thursday.
Jacaranda trees in the City of Tshwane. Picture: South African Tourism/Flickr
TSHWANE - Some former Tshwane MMCs said there is no truth to the assertion that the previous government ignored service delivery in townships.
The capital city’s mayoral committee has been dissolved, following the successful motion of no confidence against Mayor Cilliers Brink on Thursday.
ALSO READ:
- Ousted Brink says instability in Tshwane council doesn't inspire investor confidence
- Tshwane political rift: DA hasn't ruled out working with ActionSA
- After Brink's removal as mayor, ANC says it's ready to govern Tshwane
One of the reasons that have been put forward by the African National Congress (ANC) and ActionSA for removing Brink is that his administration favoured suburban areas over townships.
Former MMC for Utilities Themba Fosi said at least 60% of the city’s capital project budget was geared towards township development.
“The Hammanskraal issue will come to an end. For the first time in 30 years, the people of Hammanskraal will have [clean drinking tap] water by the end of October.”
Former MMC for Human Settlements Ofentse Madzebatela said it was important to demystify the notion that the previous government only delivered services in suburban areas.
“There is the Townlands social housing development. One thousand two hundred units of social housing have been made available to the residents of the city, working migrants of the city who can come and have a living place closer to work and schooling opportunities.
“There is a lady there who moved from an informal settlement in Soshanguve and is living there in a two-bedroom house, paying as little as R750 [a month]. This is the work this administration has been able to do, and we wanted to do more.”
The former MMCs have warned the incoming administration not to take credit for their work.
Brink, meanwhile, has committed himself to staying in the capital city and fighting to preserve the gains made under his administration.
Prior to becoming mayor, Brink was a member of Parliament (MP) and also the Democratic Alliance (DA)’s national spokesperson.
With the DA having a vacancy in Parliament due to firing Renaldo Gouws, there has been speculation over whether Brink would return to the National Assembly.
However, during a media briefing on Friday, Brink said he will be staying to ensure the new administration follows up on key projects that are close to completion.
“I will not abandon the city, the leaders who surround me will not abandon the city. There will be three issues that we look at: that senior managers who have been appointed, non-political senior managers, professional people who are changing the culture of the institution, are not victimised and targeted to be replaced by deployees.
“The second important project for us is Hammanskraal water. That project cannot be messed up. The distrust that has been created over many years has been so deep that it is our obligation to finish that.
“The last one is that the disciplinary action taken against the officials implicated in the Rooiwal tender is not reversed and that the blacklisting process which we have commenced against that [Edwin Sodi] consortium is not withdrawn for political reasons.”