ANC opposing DA budgets that fail to cater for the poor
THE ANC is stepping up its campaign in the interests of all communities to hold the DA-run municipalities in the Western Cape to account.
As part of the campaign, the ANC has, over the last week, opposed budgets in DA-run municipalities which do not cater to the needs of poor people.
Provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs says the ANC has voted against all budgets tabled by DA-controlled municipalities, sending a clear message that the ANC wants to ensure that municipal budgets are used to change the lives of poor people.
The following are examples of ANC caucuses voting against DA budgets last week:
In the City of Cape Town, more than 50 000 comments were submitted by the public to oppose the DA-run metropolitan council’s tariff increases. Faced with a concerted campaign by ratepayers and civic organisations against the DA’s ludicrous proposals to drastically increase water tariffs and levies, the City eventually reduced the two key water tariffs from 26.9% to 19.9%, and 55.1% to 10.1%.
The ANC opposed the increases from the outset and voted against the City’s budget last week.
The ANC will continue to represent the interests of all ratepayers, especially the poor, in opposing the administration’s efforts to make residents of Cape Town pay the price for the DA’s infighting and maladministration amid serious allegations of nepotism and corruption which have claimed the head of the former municipal manager, Achmat Ebrahim.
In Theewaterskloof, the ANC voted against the DA’s budget because the DA gave R5 million in rebates to the agricultural sector by increasing the tariffs on basic services by 10%, effectively forcing the poor to fund wealthy farmers.
In George, the ANC voted against the DA’s budget because it did not address the needs of communities and a corruption scandal hangs over that municipality as the Hawks continue their investigations.
In Overstrand, the ANC rejected the DA’s budget as there was no public participation.
In Swellendam, the ANC voted against the DA’s budget because councillors received the budget documentation only two days before it was presented, clearly intended to rush the budget through council without proper scrutiny.
In Central Karoo District, the ANC voted against the budget and Integrated Development Programme because the budget documents were distributed five minutes before the meeting at which it was to be adopted.
The DA’s mayor acknowledged that there was no public participation from Beaufort West and other communities.
The ANC in the Western Cape is determined to hold the DA to account and will do so using all the means at our disposal, including in our role as an opposition party in municipal councils and the provincial legislature.
Communities across the province have shown in recent weeks and months that they have had enough of the DA’s arrogance and its unwillingness to make decisions in favour of the people who are struggling to feed and protect their families.
In the spirit of President Ramaphosa’s Thuma Mina call, the ANC in the Western Cape will accelerate its programme to work together with communities and civil society organisations to ensure that it makes every effort possible to improve the lives of especially the poor and vulnerable.