GWEN MUST GO

Gwen must go. Residents across our city, residents who have voted for various political parties and who come from different socio-economic groups have had enough. The time for political intervention in our City has come. President Zuma promised South Africa that he would ensure that non-performing public representatives would be replaced. Pretoria is burning. Residents in ANC wards and DA wards may not agree on many things but they do agree on the need for drastic change. Last year the ANC’s political structures intervened to remove the majority of the MMC’s in the Metropolitan Council of Tshwane. It is clear to residents, however, that the head of the Political structure, who should be held responsible, remained in power as the Executive Mayor. No improvement on the failed service delivery has been made. In fact we argue that matters have deteriorated and that the violent protest of residents is at an all time high not seen since the pre-1994 struggle.

Whilst remaining in power, the Executive Mayor has not failed to apply her power. Not to ensure improved governance or service delivery, but rather to cover up her potential implication in wrongdoing as indicated in the recently leaked Ntsebeza letter concerning the charges being brought against Kiba Kekana. Rumours surrounding the resignation of Mmutle, the Chief of Police and irregular political pressure to award tenders to connected party members at the expense of the City are rife. These rumours need to be investigated without the abuse of power, without her political intervention or the signature, far too long a time taken to finalize or release the findings of such investigations. The Democratic Alliance urges residents to come forward with information to allow us to investigate and bring these allegations into the open.

Whilst Pretoria is burning, our Mayor is absent, failing to receive petitions, failing to acknowledge the issues but rather to focus on the internal political in-fighting within her party. ANC members are signing up as members of the DA at levels never before seen by our Party in this region. The rioting is a tip of the iceberg when it comes to the unhappiness within ANC-run wards. Residents in DA wards are as frustrated as their ANC countrymen.

Despite Gwen’s love of power, she has been unsuccessful in making in-roads into so called “Hot-zones” or “no-go areas”. Areas of our City falling within 31 of our 76 wards, representing 41% of all wards which are internally identified as areas where our City’s officials cannot enter and apply debt collection measures due to threats against their persons and/or life. How can a City with so many Metro Police officers, whom so few residents ever see, continue to be held to ransom by the actions of a few individuals? The majority of our residents are being forced to suffer due to the lack of action on the part of the Mayor to take a firm stand and lead our City. Yet this same Mayor condones, through inaction, the cut-offs of services to residents who follow the correct procedures and declare disputes with the City, disputes which are not resolved due to insufficient and ineffective resources working within our City.

The Mayor has failed to ensure that residents’ queries are speedily heard and resolved. Ask any resident to call one of the City’s so-called Help-lines and they will tell you that this is just a waste of time. The Democratic Alliance reminds residents, when failing to obtain assistance from the Council, to call on their local councillor to assist and lodge queries with the Party via our solutions@dagautengnorth.co.za email address or to call us on 012-343-1358 to bring the matter to our attention. This is a call to all residents, even ANC voters who often turn to DA councilors to assist them in wards where ANC councillors have failed.

Gwen has failed to administer the financial wellbeing of our city. This is evidenced by the Hot-zones, increasing debtors’ book, qualified financial reports and failure to spend the Capital budgets year in and year out. Gwen has failed to administer the indigent programme, to ensure that the people, who should be assisted due to valid financial reasons, are not being assisted. She has failed to apply proper industrial relations and good business practice, resulting in the numerous strikes and failed administrative functioning of this City. She has failed to make adequate contingency plans for periods of crisis such as the strikes.

The promise of addressing the housing issue in the City remains unresolved. Even the limited housing which existed before her administration now remains un-occupied due to incompetent management which has even resulted in the deaths of residents as per one of the numerous expensive internal reports drafted under her administration.

Lack of functioning street lights covers in darkness many of the faults of her administration. The state of our City may even make many give up hope. This, too, can cause problems as our cemeteries and crematorium are, more often than not, unable to cater for our dead.

The reasons are many. The time is limited. Our City is dirty and does not work. The stench is embarrassing and the political head must be held to account. Gwen must go and the DA intends to launch a regional campaign in all 76 wards of Tshwane. We intend to show the ANC that the time for Gwen to take responsibility for the failure of the ANC administration has come.

We call on residents to sign our petitions across our City in support of this demand. We call on residents to lodge unresolved complaints with us. We call on residents to stop making excuses for the lack of delivery and realize that they must speak up to ensure that they can live in a city as well-run and administered as the DA’s Cape Town. Our promise of an open opportunity society will ensure that Gwen’s failure to deliver will not continue for much longer. Please step up and join our campaign to rid our City of this embarrassment. We will take these petitions to local government, provincial government and Parliament should this demand not be met.

Join us in demanding that Gwen must go!