Pretoria - White people in Tshwane will want to live in the townships under the DA-run municipality.
DA mayoral candidate for the capital city Solly Msimanga said the party would improve the quality of services everywhere in the city. “We want white people to want to live in the townships,” he said.
Msimanga was addressing the Soshanguve Block X community, where he launched the City of Tshwane party manifesto in the run-up to the municipal polls on August 3.
The manifesto focused on seven service-delivery priorities to be executed by the DA if it is voted into power.
Msimanga said the manifesto was about bringing about change that would stop corruption and deliver better services. Creating economic opportunities for everyone was among the plans hatched by the DA to improve service delivery.
Msimanga said economic em-powerment would be achieved by cultivating a culture of entrepreneurship. The party planned to introduce what it called “job zones” in Ekandustria, Babelegi and Ga-Rankuwa.
“The job zone would offer developers discounts on development contributions and tariffs in return for creating jobs,” said Msimanga.
He lashed out at the “uncaring” ANC government, saying it “has allowed corruption to thrive, service delivery to grind to a halt and unemployment to increase”.
Residents should not accept dishonest and corrupt councillors to use their positions to benefit themselves, he said. Expanded Public Works Programmes beneficiaries would be selected by a fair process and not by ward councillors and their cronies, he said, adding that the DA would bring local government back to the people by building a responsive and caring city.
“We will ensure efficient delivery of quality services to all areas of the city and provide indigent households with free basic municipal services to make sure that our city cares for the most vulnerable.”
He promised the DA would build an honest city to stop the rot and decay in the capital: “This means making sure that we rid the city of corruption, such as the unfair allocation of housing opportunities and jobs to ANC members or the friends and families of councillors.”
Councillors who do not perform their work properly would be removed, he said.
The party wanted to abolish cadre deployment in the city administration. Msimanga said the DA planned to build an inclusive and integrated city to redress the injustices of the past.
The serving chief of metro police Steven Ngobeni would be fired as soon as the DA assumed office.
Msimanga said Ngobeni would be replaced with a qualified and experienced police officer. This would be in line with the party’s plan to build a safe city.
“We will properly equip metro police officers and emergency services to fight crime better, including making sure that response vehicles which have broken down or have been involved in accidents are quickly repaired,” he said.
A specialised narcotics unit within the metro police department would also be established to fight drug dealers.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane said the city belonged to the people and not to factions of the ANC. “It doesn’t belong to Luthuli House, to Sputla Ramokgopa or to Thoko Didiza,” he said.
He called on President Jacob Zuma to restore peace in the city. “Come and speak to the people of the capital city and try to calm the situation,” he said.
He condemned tribal attacks made against Thoko Didiza, who was described as “a Zulu woman from KZN” during the violent protests last week: “We must all condemn such statements and actions in the strongest possible terms.”
Pretoria News