DA outlines small-town turnaround plan
Visit highlights Makana’s infrastructure, service provision failures
While it was the infrastructure and economic future of Makhanda that the DA put under the spotlight this week, the party said its 10-point plan to fix small towns could be replicated in other municipalities, including Ndlambe.
On Monday April 8, Makhanda was an important leg of the party’s ‘rescue small towns’ tour of the Eastern Cape.
Provincial leader Andrew Whitfield, who is also the party’s shadow police minister, was accompanied by fellow MP Kevin Mileham, shadow minister of mineral resources and energy; shadow MEC for cooperative governance Vicky Knoetze, Makana council’s DA caucus leader Luvuyo Sizani and fellow councillors Brian Jackson, Geoffrey Embling, and Xolani Madyo.
Sunday night’s airing of Carte Blanche’s investigation into the government’s plan to relocate the seat of the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court from Makhanda to Bhisho refreshed concerns about the highly contested move.
The planned high court move, according to research by Rhodes University professor emeritus of economics, Geoff Antrobus, will have such a severe impact on Makhanda’s economy that it will render it a ghost town.
Speaking outside the Makhanda high court on Monday, Whitfield said the DA would use its voice in parliament to oppose it.
Citing the estimated 10,000 jobs that would be lost should the move go ahead, Whitfield said ensuring the institution remained in Makhanda would be “an apex priority” for the party, should it be in national government.
The visit was intended to highlight the town’s infrastructure and service
provision failures. Monday was a ‘water off’ day for areas of the town served by the Waainek water treatment works.
This, according to communication from Makana Municipality, is because the only operational pump at the Howieson’s Poort pump station had to be switched off last Thursday while a replacement for a faulty part was sourced.
During their oversight visits to various sites on Monday, the DA delegation came across a substantial leak near
Makhanda’s low-level reservoir, in the west of the town. In a post on a community WhatsApp group later, Ward 4 councillor
Geoff Embling said: “With the severe loss of water, it is doubtful whether [the] highlevel reservoir will fill up. This scenario has left the whole of Makana short of water, and some high-lying areas are currently without any water.”
In an official statement issued later on Monday, the DA said it would also enforce the dissolution of the council to have a new Makana government elected.
“The municipality has failed to implement a financial turnaround strategy, despite being under administration,” Whitfield said.
“In November 2023, National Treasury demanded the repayment of R60m in unspent conditional grants, and last year Makana received its fourth disclaimed audit opinion in a row.”
Whitfield said the party’s rescue plan for Makhanda could be replicated in other municipalities.
“What we’ve done is take best practice interventions in places where we do govern, such as Kouga, Umngeni and other small municipalities which are similar.
“These interventions can have local detail added to them.
“But the basic principles of good governance and service execution and what the priorities would be are contained in this plan.
“The 10-point plan will be effective in any small, broken municipality that needs a quick turnaround,” Whitfield told TOTT in response to questions.
The DA’s local government rescue plan, according to the statement, is founded on clean and accountable government, improved road infrastructure, improved and safe water provision, improved municipal infrastructure investment, improved waste management, efficient revenue collection, transparent budgeting and expenditure, an environment that attracts investment and jobs, and regular input from and feedback to residents.