Bekkersdal residents should not vote for a party that insulted them, first by ignoring them; then, more directly, says Jack Bloom.
Johannesburg -
Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane has had a tough time in Bekkersdal. Her efforts to calm the situation have backfired.
Residents remember her failed promises when she was housing MEC.
In 2007, she said the Urban Renewal Programme was “on track” and that “drastic measures” were being taken to improve service delivery.
She asked residents to be patient and said she would deal with corrupt practices in the area “without mercy”.
In 2009, Mr Saki Tlou of the Bekkersdal Concerned Residents wrote to then-co-operative governance minister Sicelo Shiceka about “gross maladministration” in Westonaria municipality.
He said it would be “difficult to address these matters with the current premier of Gauteng. We strongly believe she would not assist as some of the matters were perpetuated under her watchful eye while serving as the MEC for housing”.
According to the present Local Government and Housing MEC Ntombi Mekgwe, R405 million has been spent so far on the Bekkersdal Renewal Project.
This is a lot of money, although much lower than the budgeted cost of R1.2 billion that was announced when it was launched in 2004 by former premier Mbhazima Shilowa.
People in Bekkersdal are right to ask why so much has been spent with so little result.
Roads are still not tarred, the brickyards are incomplete, sewage runs in the streets and the multi-purpose centre is not operational.
Other promised projects have not happened.
Delivery is compromised because of apparent crony tenders, for instance, the Powerhouse Consortium was in charge of project management.
The Resolve Group probe into allegations against Mr Sibusiso Buthelezi, the former head of public works, found he was close friends with Powerhouse managing director Stan Thusini.
The company was paid R2.85m for work given without tender on the fishy Soweto monorail project promoted by Paul Mashatile – the same cancelled by the national transport minister.
There are other suspicious contracts in the abysmally run Westonaria council.
The provincial government should have intervened far earlier, but instead of looking in a mirror and blaming herself, the premier insults the people of Bekkersdal saying she doesn’t want their “dirty votes”.
This is typical arrogance. What is dirty is the jobs for pals and the rampant looting of state resources that leads to violent service delivery protests when all other appeals fail.
There have been plenty of petitions and memorandums calling attention to the problems in Bekkersdal, but this is a government that will not listen.
The way forward is to engage honestly with the community.
The allegations of corruption against the Westonaria council must be investigated speedily, not swept under the carpet.
If political friends are implicated, then they must be prosecuted and not allowed to get away in the usual manner – to leave with a golden handshake.
Merging Westonaria with Randfontein will solve nothing if the management rot is not cut away.
The people of Bekkersdal deserve better.
They have the opportunity in the elections next year to choose a different party that has shown that where it governs, it governs well in the interests of all the people.
Jack Bloom, MPL
DA leader in the Gauteng legislature
* The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Newspapers.
The Star