Pretoria - The DA has described Thursday’s State of the City Address by executive mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa as “a repeat of empty promises of the past”.
“What was said today (Thursday), was also said a year ago at the same occasion. The DA is concerned that this was another lip service exercise that will not amount to much in practice,” said DA leader in the Tshwane Metro Council, Jan Boshoff.
Ramokgopa touched on a number of issues including the poor municipal bus service, the rebuilding of Munitoria and the proposed Pretoria name change.
Boshoff said the DA was in agreement with Ramokgopa’s vision to build a better city.
“But a vision without a plan remains a dream,” said Boshoff, adding that Ramokgopa actually reported little on tangibles that can be evaluated.
He said the DA finds it interesting that Ramokgopa regards the municipality as solvent.
“It is therefore ironic that the Tshwane Metro in the recorded history of metropolitan municipalities in South Africa is the metro which raised the largest bond.
“However, the city only excelled in being left with the biggest debt in history,” he said.
“The promise for development of infrastructure such as roads and storm water, electricity to informal settlements and the pre-paid (electricity) meters is welcomed and we hope this will materialise within the foreseeable future,” said Boshoff.
Freedom Front regional leader and councillor Philip van Staden said the proposed Pretoria name change issue had not yet been resolved as Ramokgopa indicated that the matter was now in Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile’s hands.
Van Staden said they were concerned about a number of issues raised by Ramokgopa in the address.
According to Van Staden, concerns included that the cleaning of cemeteries would not go out on tender and that local communities would be involved in the process to ensure that they were economically active and the budgeting of R5 million for goodwill games in the various townships, including the annual Lucas “Masterpieces” Moripe Goodwill Games in Atteridgeville.
Van Staden said Ramokgopa created the impression that there were no service delivery problems in the metro area.
“The Freedom Front Plus feels that although there were good points in the executive mayor’s address, these were overshadowed by the bad points,” said Van Staden.
The ANC’s regional spokesman Burton Joseph said they were pleased with Ramokgopa’s address.
“We are happy that the ANC political mandate is being implemented by the council so forcefully. Nothing must stand in the way of improving the quality of life of our people.
“We have made massive strides and we will intensify our struggle against poverty and unemployment as we approach 20 years of democratic governance,” said Joseph.
Pretoria News