The election of the coalition’s candidate – the FF Plus is part of this coalition – as the new mayor of the Tshwane Metro Council is a victory for democracy and the Metro’s residents.
The ANC’s attempt to hijack the Metro Council by abusing the provincial government’s power has failed. Councillors in the Metro Council can now resume their responsibilities to guide the capital city on the road to recovery and prioritise service delivery.
On Tuesday 27 October 2020, the Court of Appeals ruled that the appointment of the administrator and the dissolution of the Council was in contravention of constitutional democracy.
The Tshwane Metro Council appeared to stumble from one crisis to the next after the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Lebogang Maile, dissolved the Metro Council in March and appointed an administrator for the city.
The coalition partners plan to urgently review the unlawfully adopted 2020/2021 budget, focusing specifically on the already implemented tariff hikes. The FF Plus also believes that the property valuations that were implemented in July this year are cause for concern. The party is still inundated with complaints about inflated valuations.
Under administrative power, service delivery in the Tshwane Metro Council deteriorated significantly as administrative officials did very little to look after taxpayers’ interests.
The Metro Council will promptly resume its oversight role with councillors heading Section-79 oversight committees where officials will be held accountable for the functioning of the Metro.
The Metro Council will also address various important reports that were not compiled as ANC and EFF councillors refused to attend council meetings before the administrative takeover. These include the audit and performance committee reports outlining the recommendations by the Auditor-General (AG) as well as two forensic reports that cover the appointment and functioning of service providers.
Public participation is very important for the coalition and, thus, the Metro will not delay the election of ward committees any longer.
The FF Plus is a reliable governing partner and is committed to making the capital city a model for local government.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Jaco Mulder on FF Plus
South Africa Today – South Africa News
