The FF Plus has called on the Gauteng Legislature Committee on Local Government and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to urgently intervene at the worst performing municipalities in the province and to ensure that service delivery is restored. The Committee has undertaken to pay oversight visits to the municipalities and metro councils.
ANC-controlled municipalities in Gauteng are delivering severe blows to the people through implementing tariff hikes in towns and cities where there is basically no service delivery.
These unreasonable tariff hikes would most probably not have been necessary if municipalities did their jobs properly and if they were managed in a more sensible and honest manner.
The FF Plus has already warned that taxpayers should not be burdened with any more taxes, particularly in the context of the struggling economy, but that municipalities should rather endeavour to find a way to adjust rates and taxes downwards.
The middle class is affected by this directly, especially due to the impact of the Covid-19 restrictions which caused many to lose their jobs and struggle to make ends meet.
The under performing municipalities of Merafong, Mogale City, Rand West, Emfuleni and Sedibeng need urgent intervention. Discouraged taxpayers have had to turn back countless times because the municipal service centres are still closed.
The FF Plus is of the opinion that the MEC for COGTA, Lebogang Maile, should rather have focused on and intervened at municipalities on the West Rand and Vaal Triangle instead of placing the Tshwane Metro Council under provincial administration. The towns in these regions are paralyzed by sewage and electrical problems.
The FF Plus will keep putting pressure on the provincial and local governments to restore service delivery in towns and cities for the benefit of all taxpayers.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Amanda de Lange on FF Plus
South Africa Today – South Africa News
