MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS MAY PROVE JUST THE MEDICINE FOR JOBURG’S CONTEMPTUOUS RULERS

DURING THE meeting of the Joburg City Council last week, I addressed the council on the status of the city’s service delivery budget implementation plan.

With only limited time allocated, I highlighted the following: Revenue collection is behind budget by almost R1 billion; capex is behind budget by R715 million; there is failure to achieve maintenance targets and a 25 percent rise in the incidence of severe malnutrition in under 5-year-olds.

These are issues which should concern every Joburg resident. Surprisingly, neither the city administration nor the responsible political officebearers, the finance MMC in particular, seemed too concerned. In fact, the MMC tried to make light of the matter. How distasteful, how dismissive of the City’s residents and their concerns.

I raised an issue of particular concern regarding R4 million budgeted by Group Legal for the review of seven sets of contracts. As a practising commercial attorney of more than 15 years standing, this figure struck me as extraordinarily high, given the work involved.

And so I asked the obvious questions. Precisely how many contracts are involved? What is the nature of the contracts? Who will conduct the review and how was the budgeted figure arrived at?

I had previously put two written questions to the MMC on this matter without success. I put the same questions to him in the chamber last week and he would not answer them.

This behaviour is the hallmark of a party that has been in power for far too long. It has become a party that does not consider itself accountable to its electorate and which has nothing but contempt for the institutions designed to protect our freedoms and improve our lives.

Perhaps the 2016 municipal elections will bring about a much-needed change for the city.

Councillor Andrew Cadman

(Democratic Alliance)