Cape Town - The ANC's claim that the City of Cape Town does not care about the poor is baseless, the DA said on Tuesday.
“In fact, nothing could be further from the truth,” Democratic Alliance spokesman Mmusi Maimane said in a statement.
On Tuesday morning the Cape Times quoted the African National Congress saying that US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle should not accept Cape Town's Freedom of the City award.
“To us this is nothing other than a diversion and I think it would be a pity if Obama accepted the award from a city that doesn't care about the poorest of the poor,” ANC Western Cape secretary Songezo Mjongile told the newspaper.
Maimane said the award would be presented to Obama and his wife during their three-day visit to the African continent at the end of June and beginning of July.
“The facts show that the DA-led city of Cape Town delivers better quality services to more poor people than any other metro in South Africa. The city of Cape Town offers the most comprehensive and generous package of free basic services to indigent residents of any metro in the country. This is a fact.”
He said in the past financial year the city spent 57 percent of its R18 billion budget on service delivery to poor residents.
“The city has increased its targeted spending on the poor every year over the past six years. The metro has also built dozens of new social facilities, including sports grounds, youth and community centres, drug rehab centres, and libraries.”
Maimane said these facilities were aimed at helping the poor and providing employment opportunities for local residents.
He said the ANC's statement would not deter the city's leadership from making the award. - Sapa