’Leaders are out of touch with reality and benefit from corruption’ prompting RISE Mzansi to implement a ‘connect, care, clean, create and co-operate’ blueprint to reclaim Gauteng’s economic hub status.
A crowd of a thousand people attended the RISE Mzansi manifesto, called the ‘Tsoga Gauteng Plan’ at Beyers Naude Square in the Johannesburg CBD on Monday.
Tsoga is translated as ‘wake up’ in Sotho. Tsoga Gauteng was led by its provincial premier candidate, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa who said new governance under RISE would reclaim the province’s spot as once the economic hub and free from corruption in municipalities.
The current government is destabilising and spiralling the province. “Gauteng was once the bustling economic and cultural hub - the pride of Africa. Now, it is collapsing due to years of neglect, mismanagement and poor leadership,” Ramokgopa said.
Ramokgopa told the crowd that people of Gauteng are beneficiaries of a failed province. Its people do not have access to basic essential services. Instead, its leaders are out of touch with the reality and benefit from corruption.
“The basic function of a government is to ensure the safety, health and prosperity of its people. Currently, the Gauteng province is succeeding at none of these. The current leaders are out of ideas and out of touch, they are obsessed with PR and being in front of cameras, instead of service delivery. They look busy, but no delivery,” she said.
According to Ramokgopa, the RISE Mzansi Gauteng team has formulated the 5 Cs pillars to address the province’s governmental and societal issues. The 5Cs are outlined as connect, care, clean, create and co-operate.
Ramokgopa explained that pillar one will connect Gauteng residents to one another, and to economic opportunities by addressing spatial injustice and access to transport. A number of people spend half their income on transport when commuting to work.
RISE Mzansi plans to conduct an urgent land audit to improve spatial, land use and housing plans. It will also capitalise on old and abandoned properties for public benefit. “We will root out corrupt elements from the housing department and end the sale of RDP houses, and state-provided housing by public officials,” said Ramokgopa.
In order to reduce transport costs for residents, connect will further enable access to transport, introduce a single payment for all public transport services and government subsidy for all commuters travelling in registered and compliant minibus taxis.
Pillar two, RISE says, will clean up cities buried in litter by conducting annual environmental audits on the condition of public spaces and incentivising the public to recycle and maintain clean spaces for healthy communal practices.
Moreover, pillar two will root out unethical conduct and maladministration in local municipalities. “We will ensure all tender processes are digitised, transparent and open to scrutiny. We will insist on full routine lifestyle audits, build protected platforms for whistle-blowers and ensure the safety of those who bring forward cases to clean up procurement.”
On pillar three, Ramokgopa noted if elected, a RISE Mzansi government will care for Gauteng citizens, in terms of quality healthcare, childcare and education.
The party is to implement a five-year plan that proposes child- friendly facilities for Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes, in particular in low income areas; and expand operating hours of state supported ECD programmes, for the safety of children in a country where children are victims of gender-based violence.
Ramokgopa indicated her cabinet will ensure access to rehabilitation centres for addicts and ensure health workers are employed, doctors most importantly.
“We will improve foundational learning so that every learner in Gauteng can ‘read for meaning’. We will ensure that schools are safe, and create stronger pathways for school leavers to gain technical and vocational, and skills in a high tech economy.”
The Star