Pretoria - Municipalities in Gauteng are struggling to build decent houses for people and to create jobs.
This was according to United Democratic Movement (UDM) president Bantu Holomisa at the launch of the party‘s Gauteng manifesto on Sunday at the Pretoria Showgrounds.
Holomisa rolled out the party’s elections campaign called “Putting Community First”.
Party supporters came from all corners of the province in buses to be part of the event. Wearing yellow T-shirts,they chanted songs and danced as they made their way to the venue.
Holomisa urged them to vote for the UDM, promising that under the party’s municipal administration service delivery would be improved.
He said the UDM would make sure that people who have built shacks in dangerous areas would be assisted immediately.
The UDM would build adequate housing and local government would immediately make land available for development, he said.
“The UDM has the right people and the right plans to make sure that council monies are spent on bread-and-butter needs,” he said.
He lamented the poor state of the CBDs of Gauteng cities, saying there were disconcerting signs that the infrastructure was in distress.
“If you walk down our streets you will see paint flaking from the walls and roofs of the buildings,” he said.
He lashed out at the Joburg Municipality for failing to sort out the billing system.
“Despite assurances that the city has sorted it’s mess, the administration continues to battle a large deficit.
“This is, partly due to poor management and collapsing infrastructure,” he said.
Explaining what the “Putting Community First” campaign stood for, he said: “It means access to basic services to the poorest of the poor without being charged.
“This also means scrapping any apartheid-era arrears and strengthening of the rolling out of the indigence policy.”
The UDM campaign meant that civil society, business and the SAPS should work together, he said.
Holomisa strongly condemned the abuse of power, saying the practice was against putting community first.
If voted into power, the UDM would root out any attempt to award municipal tenders to people with personal or family ties to council employees and councillors.
The tendering system shall be transparent, unbiased and open to public scrutiny, he said.
He stressed the importance of the three tiers of government coming together when they are planning and budgeting to deliver services.
He said that in some instances communities suffered because councillors didn’t have the capacity to deliver services.
“The UDM proposed that small crises committees be instituted that have all the necessary technical expertise to assist councillors in their work,” he said.
Pretoria News