Striving to make Gauteng a better province

Belgian economist and writer Ernest Mandel states that “factions are a sign of illness in a party”.

This “illness” manifests itself when parts or factions of the organisation stand quietly by and do nothing in an attempt to distinguish themselves from the whole. This is the case when it comes to the ANC at Luthuli House and the ANC in Gauteng.

There is a false belief that the ANC in Gauteng is independent of the ANC at Luthuli House.

The false narrative states that the ANC of Paul Mashatile and David Makhura is a corrupt-free, moral compass, and the last hope of the ANC. If we are to believe that the ANC in Gauteng is a shining star in the dark sky that is the ANC, then they would not have lost in the 2014 and 2016 polls, and they would not be preparing to lose the entire province to the DA in 2019.

The people of Gauteng are increasingly voting for the DA and other opposition parties.

If the ANC of Gauteng was so great, the new DA-led administrations of Johannesburg and Tshwane would not be uncovering cases of corruption which took place under the Gauteng ANC’s watch.

For example, under the leadership of Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba, 2 000 corruption cases are being investigated, amounting to R14.4-billion.

This has thus far led to 451 arrests and more than 100 City employees being suspended.

In Tshwane, R12-million was spent on the mayoral mansion, despite the property being valued at R4-million.

The previous ANC mayor, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, inflated his office compliment by hiring 900 people (many of whom were ANC branch chairs and had no clear job description), costing the people of Tshwane R250-million a year in salaries.

While money was looted in Johannesburg and Tshwane, the righteous ANC leadership in Gauteng said and did nothing.

The DA’s growth in Gauteng is anchored on our first win in the province in 2011, when we were entrusted with governing in Midvaal. Mayor Bongani Baloyi has done an excellent job there.

Unemployment is at its lowest; investment and service delivery are at their highest. Midvaal has done so well that in the lead-up to the 2016 election, the ANC commended our great work and went as far as saying that it should be emulated by the ANC.

As the DA in Gauteng, we are ready to build a better province where jobs are created, services are delivered and corruption becomes something of the past. We want Gauteng to be a place where hospitals and clinics treat patients with dignity, and where women and children are kept safe.