I visited Mamelodi East yesterday to see for myself once again the problems afflicting some of the poorest people living in one of South Africa’s worst governed municipalities. Mamelodi is an old and well established suburb in our Capital city.
Unfortunately what I saw and heard from residents confirmed all of the startling facts about poor service delivery in the Tshwane Metro. Very often the human element is lost in the rhetoric and sloganism which characterise election campaigns.
Tshwane’s heinous distinction among South Africa’s six metropolitan municipalities, as the one where residents have the worst access to sanitation was highlighted in an informal settlement called Phumulong in Ward 40.
Some of Phumulong’s residents say that they have been living there for nearly 10 years without any attempt by successive ANC administrations to install basic service infrastructure.
I was struck by the supreme irony of our politics as I walked the mud streets which are in places inaccessible to most vehicles. You can not but notice the refuse, the lack of storm water drains and other basic infrastructure.
A few months ago the so-called toilet saga in Cape Town become the biggest, if not the only, point of major criticism against the DA governed municipality since its election in 2006.
Here in Phumolong the issue was not a municipality that did not erect roofs and walls over flushing toilets, but no flushing toilets at all, for up to a decade!
Will the Human Rights Commission visit this community to inspect the miserable, neglectful conditions which this community live in?
The challenge for us now is to convince voters like these that they their vote can actually make a difference, that bad government can be voted out of power and replaced by a new one which delivers for all.
This is not an insurmountable challenge as the DA only needs a small swing to route out the ANC and sweep to victory under a DA lead coalition in the Tshwane metro. This swing has occurred and is evident in the voices of residents in Mamelodi East who are saying “Where is the ANC’s promised change. We are tired of waiting”
Voters are noticing that DA government is different from ANC government. It is only a matter of time before the majority embrace the fact that where the DA governs, it governs better and delivers for all people. The DA is the only hope for the millions of South Africans living in conditions way below those set out in the bill of rights. Human Rights day is a fitting day for us to reflect on the urgent life enhancing changes which we still need to bring about in South Africa.
When I chat with my friends living in the north, I cannot believe that there are so few services there, whilst whatever the DA is doing elsewhere is critisised if it is not five star class. Any Council with the political will, and with good managment and wise financial planning, can improve the lot of these communities. I say, give Brandon a chance!
ReplyDeleteBrandon, you "About me" section lists a link to whoswho which is broken.
ReplyDeleteRather put the text there instead of requiring people to copy and paste a link to find out who you are.
Add the link as well if you wish - just make sure it works.
Give it horns boet.
I went to Silverton to collect my driver’s licence card and was told to queue up, I took the liberty of asking why and then noticed only 3 of the windows were manned in the entire building.
ReplyDeleteI sought advice from a uniformed official as to the time span and was told to simply line up and wait my turn.
Not a second later I was harassed by a tauter who for a fee was willing to sort circuit my required needs and elevate me to his official connection.
Who is footing the bill for those supposedly employed to service the public as public-servant’s, based on the premise that they receive their regular income as service providers to the public, who in turn would more than gladly pay their salaries for the satisfactory services we rightfully expect from them?
Put the right person/s in charge and change our world, one department at a time.
South Africa can become a world leader once again if our civil servants just start cleaning up their act and take pride in what they do.
Kevin Smith
This clear that ANC can't run this Country, they good in spending and being corrupt. SO LETS VOTE THIS GOVERMENT OUT, BEFORE OUR COUNTRY IS JUST LIKE ZIMBABWE.
ReplyDelete