Malema aims to take Emfuleni Municipality from ANC
THE EFF has become the second opposition party after the DA to set its sights on taking over control of the financially embattled Emfuleni Local Municipality from the ANC.
EFF leader Julius Malema announced his party's intentions during his voter drive in various townships in the Vaal yesterday.
Detailing his party's plans, Malema said that after the November 1 election, if EFF took over the municipality, his first priority would be to do away with tenders.
“After we take over, we are going to employ local people to fix potholes, build roads and houses for the people,” Malema said.
He added that among his other priorities was to conduct a full audit of staff under the incumbent ANC's rule, saying the objective was to find out whether the employees were properly employed and had the right academic qualifications.
“We are going to employ people with the right qualifications under the EFF. At the moment, in Bophelong, people living in informal settlements do not have access to water and electricity.
“Water is provided to you in water tanks, but those tanks actually belong to the politicians and their relatives. We are going to get rid of tenders.
“We did it when we were in a coalition government in Joburg. We did away with the security tenders and insourced most of their employees.
“The security guards were paid R3 500 by their companies, but we gave them R7 500. We also gave them pensions and medical aid. This will also happen when we take over this municipality,” Malema said.
He said SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) recipients under the EFF government would not pay for water and electricity services, saying people living in neighbouring suburbs would have to subsidise them.
Malema addressed more than 3 000 supporters at Bopheleng's ward 6 in Vaal, which includes a neighbouring informal settlement, yesterday.
He urged first-time voters and those who relocated from the Eastern Cape, Lesotho and neighbouring towns and who are now living in Bophelong, to register this weekend to vote in ward 6.
Malema told the crowd the fact that millions of people were recipients of Sassa grants was an indication of their “poor status”.