DA VOTE WONT BETRAY YOUR HERITAGE

Today I signed the Independent Electoral Commission code of conduct, committing the DA in the Tshwane Metro to play by the rules of democracy ahead of the 18 May local government elections.

The essence of democracy is that voters can decide to change their rulers at the ballot box. For voters to exercise the right to vote, other enabling rights need to be freely exercised.

Citizens need to have access to converging policies and views through the media and contact with candidates. Only then can they apply their minds freely and decide for whom to cast their ballots.

It is important that parties and their candidates do not prevent voters from making an informed, free choice in the election.

It is equally important for every voter to know that their vote is their own choice, and their secret.

By exercising the right to vote in favour of one party and not another, voters are not betraying their country or their community or their heritage.

On the contrary, by voting for the party which is likely to deliver the best services for all, people are honouring the heroes of our past and vindicating the struggle for democracy.

The DA is committed to an election campaign in which the issues, including jobs, safe communities and universal access to basic services, are the issue.

And we pledge to treat our opponents, with whom we differ in our vision for the country and the city, with tolerance. Despite our differences we remain compatriots.

DA Proposes alternatives to the Tshwane Budget

DA PROPOSES ALTERNATIVES TO THE TSHWANE BUDGET

A municipal budget is very important as it is the only way we can rectify the problems in our Metro. According to Universal Access to Household Basic Services report commissioned by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, residents of the Tshwane Metro have the worse access to basic services of all Metro’s in South Africa. The alternatives to the proposed budget suggested below are essential to ensure that we use our funds effectively to address this situation.

Job Creation Through Economic Growth

The DA believes that the municipality should use levers in its budget to stimulate economic growth in order to create jobs. We also believe that investment into infrastructure should drive such economic growth. The following priority areas will therefore enjoy attention in a budget if the DA wins the election on 18 May 2011.

-                                               Increased expenditure on capital expenditure.

-                                               Increased expenditure on community safety.

-                                               More favourable property rates regime.

-                                               Combat massive municipal increases.

-                                               Improving public transport.

-                                               The introduction of incentives for alternative energy use.

Infrastructure

Capital budgets must reflect consistent efforts to address the backlogs in basic services and the renewal of the infrastructure of the existing services. We have tabled a capital budget approving R3,185,417,740 and rejecting R 2,792,813,826. Thus we have approved 53.28% of the internal requests and we have not even included nearly all of the requests of the community.

It is clear however that this administration does not take crime prevention seriously. Each year a very dismal amount is spent on this departments capital requests. Once again this year only 7% of the capital requests were accepted, the other 93% remains unfunded.

We need new fire stations in Mamelodi, and Winterveld and welcome the budgeted approval for the building of a fire station in Heuweloord. We thus feel an additional R8 million needs to be provided to give effect to this important area of community safety.

A small capital budget should be provided to ward committees to administer for minor upgrades and improvements. This will allow more meaningful inputs form the community and will bring government closer to the people. We propose R1million per ward for this year and depending on effectiveness increasing it in the coming years. These “discretionary” funds can also be used for maintenance in the ward.

The use of a municipal bond to fund the capital budget is a welcome innovation which we are happy to endorse as it falls within our funding model as well. Welcome to the 21^st century. A larger bond should be considered in order to fund and speed up the capital expenditure requests which are so desperately needed. The increased revenue collection will ensure that the interest element on the higher bond can be serviced.

Community Safety

The DA is pleased to see that our suggestion for additional police vehicles which we proposed last year are indeed included in this year’s budget. The money spent on these vehicles together with well trained metro police vehicles may mean the difference to some many residents’ lives. Provided that the vehicles are used for the wards are working with communities to prevent crime. The concern is that only R12 million has been budgeted which will not purchase sufficient vehicles. Almost R80 million in requests remain unaddressed. We would budget for at least an additional R24 million.

The R3million requested for speed enforcement camera’s would go a long way in assisting in stopping drag racers in Voortrekker road and other well known drag racing spots.

Property Rates

I have been hearing a lot about a “new business approach” to local government. However, a business which does not find solutions to problems will fail. Business does not have the luxury of hiding behind old practices and ways of looking at things. Here in this budget we see a prime example of excuses being thrown at rate payers who are faced with massive increases in property rates and massive increases they are. You must thus forgive me when I laugh at the statement our Mayor made on radio about not understanding what the fuss is about high rates increases.

This Metro has not told the residents living in Kungwini and Nokeng Tsa Taemane that:

-                                               Kungwini residents will pay more than 83% in property rates;

-                                               Kungwini business will experience a 34% increase;

-                                               Owners of vacant land in Kungwini face a 124% increase;

-                                               Kungwini’s small holding owners will now be classified as residential and face an increase of more than 424%;

-                                               Nokeng owners of vacant land will have an increase of more than 821%;

-                                               Nokeng owners of the current class of residential rural will have a 170% increase;

-                                               Nokeng properties classified as agriculture but now will be treated as residential with increases of around 429%; and

-                                               Nokeng business properties will experience a 130% increase.

These increases goes against the National Treasury circular 55 directive which requires municipalities to take into account local economic conditions and the affordability of services.

The Municipal Property Rates Act provides a municipality with a lot of discretion when formulating its’ rates policy, which in the end must be equitable to all per section 3(a). If a business approach is applied in this case of the Metsweding municipalities, then the DA would apply section 8(1) of the Municipal Properties Rates Act where it says that in the determination of different categories we may include categories determined according to the a) use of the property, b) permitted use of the property; or c) geographical area in which the property is situated.

Combat Excessive Increases

When you consider these high percentages you almost overlook the 8% increase for existing Tshwane residents. The City of Cape Town managed to keep their increase to under the recommended 6% set by National Treasury. Why can they do it and the Tshwane metro can’t? This means that this metro will have an increase 35.59% higher than Cape Town.

The excessive 8% increase contributes to an increase in local inflation and takes money out of the local economy that could have stimulated higher expenditure in the local economy thus contributing to its growth.

Improving Public Transport

The reduction of the public transport tariffs are welcomed and overdue but the city’s public transport system needs to be extended and the Bus rapid Transport system put back on track.

Alternative Energy Use Measures

We cannot continue to be held ransom by inefficient and poorly managed parastatals.  They need competition and we have to play a role in making sure that they improve their outputs and stop just passing on their inefficiency to us in the form of massive increases.

The DA proposes an additional once off rebate for households who install solar geysers of R1000 per household.  We would include this in our budget over the next five years, with current a contribution of R156 million for households. In the end our electrical supply is an important factor when trying to attract new business to our metro.

The Ultimate Freedom to be remembered on Freedom Day

Today we are here at this memorial to honour the many people who fought for freedom. The many people who today are represented in more than one political party . We are here to remember the great right and the responsibility which we as South Africans have to vote. Because the right to vote is our ultimate freedom. It is our right to vote with secrecy. It is our right to not be intimidated when we vote.

Our hard fought for freedom was never about keeping one party in power for ever. That is what we had under Apartheid and that is what we need to prevent in our young democracy today. We fought for the right of people to have a choice. A choice to change the government when it fails to deliver. This right to change is true democracy. This is true Freedom.

We know who we are going to vote for. We are all proud to wear our blue T-Shirts. T- Shirts which have become very valuable in South Africa. Every one wants a DA Skipper. Are you proud of your Skipper?

Yes you are. You are proud because you know what this T-Shirt represents. You know that when you put this T-Shirt on you can look your family in the eye. You know that this blue beautiful T-Shirt says that we stand for a government which is open. A government which has proven its fight against corruption. The DA has shown that we know how to fight crime. The DA T-Shirt represents a government which has proven it can and will deliver services to all.

The DA and our T-Shirt represent a party who listens to the people. We do not make our decisions behind closed doors hundreds of kilometers away from our people.

Because we listen, the DA has visited all across our cities including here in Mamelodi and Phumolong close to here. Wherever we go we hear the same requests. We hear that we want a clean government. We hear we want streets. We hear that we want storm water drains, We hear that we need sewerage, We hear that we want electricity. We hear that we want water. We hear that our city must grow and attract business to Tshwane. These are some of our demands as residents of this city. These demands are also our constitutional rights. These are part of what we expected as a country when we fought for freedom.

After election day we will be the 3^rd largest city in the world by land size. This city needs a good government. That’s is what we promise you. A government which can run this city and which will listen to the residents.

So on the 18^th remember your ultimate right, the right to be free. The right to change what you do not like. Remember to go vote for the DA

Election 2011: We can bring our record of excellence in government to Tshwane

Election 2011: We can bring our record of excellence in government to Tshwane

The Democratic Alliance’s record in local government shows that we deliver services and infrastructure, promote opportunities and choice, stimulate development and job creation, clamp down on crime and corruption, and put people in charge of their own futures. That’s why our municipal administrations, in Cape Town and elsewhere, stand out as an example of the constructive role that government can play in facilitating prosperous, growing, safer communities.

This is why the Democratic Alliance is here today, to show how our vision for clean, efficient government has worked in other municipalities and can work here in Pretoria as well. We are here today to say that the myriad of broken promises made to the people of Pretoria, Soshanguve, Mamelodi, Ga-Rankuwa, Centurion, Atteridgeville and the other areas that collectively make up the Tshwane Metro.

The best way of envisioning how DA governance could change Tshwane is to consider the DA’s previous record in local government, and compare this with how the Tshwane Metro has been governed in recent years. When you do so, you see two cities moving in opposite directions. Since 2006, when the DA took over from the ANC in Cape Town, the city has steadily improved in service delivery, quality of life and its dedication to reducing crime. Today it sets the standard of excellence for all metros in each of these areas. In contrast, Tshwane has been gradually declining through weak service delivery, diminished quality of life and crippling Metro Police corruption. This decline has now become quite apparent. It’s time for a change.

In this press briefing, we want to share the facts regarding the difference between service delivery under the DA versus delivery under the ANC. We aim to show that this difference makes a difference.

Our analysis extends to three particular subjects: first, our comparative record in delivering basic services; secondly, the state of crime in Tshwane; and finally, a case study of the Nokeng Tsa Taemane municipality. We begin with service delivery:

1. Service delivery and accountable governance

It is the responsibility of local government to implement service delivery. It is the face of accessible government for most people. It is arguably the most important sphere of government, especially for those at the bottom end of the economic ladder, who rely on local administrations to deliver those essential components of opportunity – basic services, like water, electricity and sanitation.

So which party is fulfilling its service delivery promises?

According to the Universal Household Access to Basic Services (UHABS) report – compiled by the National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs last year – the DA-run City of Cape Town is the best performing metro in the country in every service delivery metric while the ANC-run Tshwane metro is the worst. The report uses metrics from four basic service delivery areas: water, sanitation, refuse collection and electricity. For each, it provides the percentage of households in the municipality that have access to a basic level of that particular service. The report shows that Cape Town is comprehensively outperforming other ANC-run metros in each of the four areas that were reviewed, especially Tshwane, which performed the worst.

Most impressively, the report shows that the percentage of residents who have access to all four basic services – universal access – is far higher in Cape Town than in any ANC metro. 91% of residents have access to all four of these services in Cape Town while a meagre 66% have them in Tshwane.

Indeed, service delivery in Tshwane is at an all-time low. The storm water drains of Mamelodi East have not been cleared for years, causing a constant damming-up of water. Streets in Phumolong are washed away with every bout of heavy rains. Residents of Atteridgeville receive bills for services which they never enjoyed. How has the city council let it come to this?

Perhaps it is because Tshwane spent only 61% of its original capital budget last year. Or because it spent only 11,8% of its original housing budget, a paltry R30,2 million out of R255,5 million. Or because it racked up R841,9 million in unauthorised expenditure and R167,1 million in irregular expenditure.

It is likewise difficult for the Tshwane Metro to deliver services when the current city council has at least 14 members who have been on paid suspension for more than 3 years. It is difficult when thousands of jobs are lost because the city planning department could not process a rezoning application by Hyundai, the major international carmaker that wanted to locate here. And it is difficult when Metro Police officers are so poorly resourced that they can’t prevent cable thieves from destroying our electricity infrastructure, leading to power outages at the Pretoria Magistrates Court, the Tshwane Events Centre, various government departments and businesses, as well as major intersection traffic lights.

These are the problems particular to an administration that is not interested in delivering basic services, and is wholly unaccountable to its citizens.

Consider the DA’s alternative record in delivering transparent, accountable governance:

• When the DA took the City of Cape Town in 2006, we opened all council meetings and Mayoral Committee (Mayco) meetings to the public. To this day, Cape Town is the only metro that holds open Mayco meetings. Wouldn’t it be great if we could do the same here in the capital city? What a refreshing change that would be.


• The DA also opened up the meetings of the Bid Adjudication Tender Award Committee which decides all contracts between the City of Cape Town and outside suppliers. No ANC metro does this. Why not? What are they trying to hide?


• The DA in Cape Town also established the first municipal Standing Committee on Public Accounts which, similar to its national parliamentary SCOPA counterpart, is chaired by a member of an opposition party.


• Finally, the City of Cape Town releases monthly reports on its financial performance to the public, freely available on its website. Such facts reveal which party is committed to truly open, transparent democratic processes and which isn’t.

Crime and lawlessness

The failure to provide adequate resources to our Metro Police is just one of many problems plaguing local law enforcement. Considering the high levels of crime that Tshwane residents face, we need a dedicated, professional police service that can make the city safer through honest, efficient police work. We don’t have that yet. In fact, we have one of the most corrupt police departments in the country. An astonishing 23% of all officers have cases pending against them for a variety of charges. During last year alone, more than 350 internal disciplinary cases were opened, the bulk coming from Region 6 where a criminal syndicate is allegedly operating within the police ranks. Dozens have already been found to have joined the police service with prior criminal records.

Since June of last year up until last month, 250 cases against Metro police officers were registered: 15 for bribery, 14 for corruption, 4 for fraud, 2 for attempted murder and 1 for rape. About 80 members were found guilty of these offences, though more cases are yet to be finalised.

Unfortunately, the ANC-led council has done little to help matters. When a new police boss was appointed last year, without advertising the vacancy, the appointee did not have the required Traffic Diploma and a Municipal Police Diploma. Such mistakes are unlikely to turn around this crucial institution.

We should not underestimate how seriously this impacts the city, especially the poor and vulnerable who most need good police services.

In Cape Town, under the ANC, the outlook was similar. The City suffered from severe shortages in both equipment and specialised skills, even carrying a reputation for corruption and inefficiency. In 2005, it had only 1 786 of its budgeted 2 400 staff and was run by a political appointee with no on-the-beat experience, and who insisted on being called “general”. But since 2006, when the DA took over the City, its Metro Police has improved dramatically. It now has a higher proportion of its force engaged in real policing – as opposed to revenue raising activities like traffic fines – than any other metro in the country. In 2009/10, they made 955 arrests for drug-related crimes, a dramatic increase from the 180 or so for 2005. Cape Town has also reintroduced specialised units – substance abuse, land invasions, metal theft and displaced persons – that the SAPS had disbanded several years ago. And it has the largest CCTV footprint in Africa and continues to expand this, investing R10m/year. Cape Town has turned its Metro Police force around, enhancing morale and efficacy amongst its staff, creating partnerships between them and city stakeholders.

Earlier this week, I announced an eight point plan to bring precisely these sorts of changes to our beautiful city.

3. The Case Study of Nokeng Tsa Taemane

Lastly, I want to bring our comparative discussion closer to home, by looking at the fortunes of Nokeng Tsa Taemane, the local municipality that was recently put under administration and is now slated to become part of the expanding Tshwane metro. It is a sad tale, but illustrative of the difference that good political leadership can make, if given a chance.

Nokeng has traditionally been dominated by the ANC, but between 2001 and 2006, the DA was able to govern the municipality in a coalition. When the DA took over, Nokeng faced major problems which the DA immediately set about fixing.

When the DA took over:

• Eskom was about to cut off the municipality’s electricity because it owed the parastatal R5.5 million which had escalated to R11m due to unpaid interest. The DA set up a new debt schedule and, by 2006, reduced it by R9m to just R2m.


• Physical infrastructure of government was also extremely poor. The small municipal offices had little furniture, no computers and no administrative systems. There was no town engineer and the municipal manager was the brother-in-law of the then mayor. The DA built up the systems and physical infrastructure necessary for a workable administration and furnished the new mayor’s office with furniture he brought from his own home.


• Infrastructure development also lagged, with few houses built and little in the way of maintenance. But under the DA, a new sewerage works was built, the Refilwe township hall was refurbished, and water and electrical systems were overhauled and expanded. The DA administration also built 1,970 RDP houses between 2003 and 2006, using provincial grants.


• We also sold the previous mayor’s car, a Mercedes, and put the funds back into the pool for service delivery and infrastructure. To save money, the DA mayor drove his own Nissan 1400.

Subsequently, under the ANC since 2006:

• Electricity payments to Eskom have faltered again, with power cuts made to the sewerage pumping station on two occasions, forcing the town to make overdue payments to Eskom.


• The rate of housing delivery has decreased by 97 percent.


• The mayoral entertainment budget has boomed from R50,000 per year under the DA to between R400 000 and R500 000 per year.


• Spending on luxuries and perks has increased. The speaker received two cars, a 240E Mercedes (with a blue light) and an Audi A4, which were purchased illegally. The mayoral Mercedes, which had been crashed and written off by the end of 2006 in a single vehicle accident, was promptly replaced by a new Audi when the Gauteng provincial government gave a third financial lifeline of R5m to the town last year. Absurdly, the mayor was driven everywhere by a uniformed and armed Nokeng traffic officer.


• The ANC mayor has also wasted public money, according to the Auditor-General and MEC for Local Government who investigated the financial affairs of the municipality. One time, the mayor took a business class flight to a conference and overnight stay at a top hotel in Pretoria, just 30km from Nokeng.


• And, most tragically for the people of Nokeng, the municipality was placed under financial administration in 2009 and is now set to be absorbed into the Tshwane metro.

This is the tragic legacy of the ANC’s rule in Nokeng: being literally run into oblivion. After the DA had run Nokeng frugally and with a can-do focus on actual municipal governance, development and service delivery, the ANC failed to further enhance the lives of Nokeng residents, but rather wasted public funds on useless luxuries and ultimately destroyed it as a political entity. What a sad and unnecessary tale. If the DA had been able to run Nokeng since 2001, as it has Midvaal, which the ANC’s own premier says enjoys the highest quality of life in the province, we would be telling a very different story: one of achievement, success and excellence. That is the legacy the DA imparts to municipalities. But only the voters can decide whether they want to go the way of the ANC’s Nokeng or the DA’s Midvaal.

Conclusion

Ironically, the residents of Nokeng face the same fate as the residents of Tshwane today, so our destiny is now united under the same metropolitan leadership. But what kind of future do we have? The administration that brought Nokeng to its knees is similar to that which we have in the Tshwane Metro council, which has ushered us into a major cash crisis that threatens the viability of our great city. It is the same administration that has allowed Metro Police corruption to fester. And it is the same administration that has made Tshwane the worst-performing metro for service delivery in the country.

The people of our city has an alternative -- one that can improve lives.

Indeed, the DA has proven in places like Cape Town, Midvaal, Baviaans, Mossel Bay and, formerly, Nokeng, that we deliver services to all better than any other party. We have a track record that shows we have the right systems in place to produce excellent outcomes for local residents. And because we believe that every citizen has a right to participate in government, we have made our structures open, accessible and transparent. We build these qualities into every element of our decision-making processes.

This is why we DA members are here today, excited to share with the residents of the Tshwane Metro the difference that the DA can make in their lives and in city government. We have the right people and processes to make our beautiful Jacaranda City and home to the nation’s capital, a dynamic metro that can release the potential of everyone who lives here.

New Tshwane to be third largest metro geographically in the world

NEW TSHWANE METRO TO BE THIRD LARGEST IN THE WORLD – WILL REQUIRE SUB-COUNCILS

After the May 18^th election the Tshwane Metro will, geographically, be the third largest city in the world after New York and Tokyo, making the demand for clean, effective, responsive government all the more important.

Na die verkiesing op 18 Mei gaan die Tshwane Metro geografies die derde grootste stad in die wereld wees na New York en Tokyo. Dit sal ‘n drastiese vehoging in die behoefte na dienslewering meebring .

Our new municipality will cover a massive geographical area of 6368 square kilometers with a population of over 2, 000, 000 people living in almost 750, 000 households. Our responsibility to deliver services has become an enormous task.

Ons nuwe munisipaliteit sal ‘n geografiese areas van ses duisend driehonderd en agt en sestig vierkante kilometer beslaan met twee miljoen inwoners wat in ongeveer sewehonderd en vyftigduisend huishoudings woon.

In order to govern such a large municipality effectively we will institute sub-councils. Sub-councils with their own budgets will ensure that government is as close to residents as possible. It will also make it easier to manage such a vast area if it is divided into manageable units. This will make Tshwane a true metro.

Die DA sal subrade totstand bring om die groot area effektief te bestuur. Dit sal die regering nader aan die mense bring en Tshwane in ‘n ware metro omskep. Elke subraad sal sy eie begroting he.

The DA is ready for the challenge to govern this vast new municipality. Our plan to govern the city effectively will be based on ten very important focus areas that we announced last week.

Die DA is gereed vir die uitdaging om die eislike nuwe groot munisipaliteit te bestuur. Ons het laasweek ons tienpunt plan bekensgestel wat on in staat sal stel om die stad effektief te bestuur.

The DA will also ensure that the newly incorporated areas of Nokeng tsa Taemane (Cullinan) and Kungwini (Bronkhorstspruit) are looked after well. The current budget proposal for the new Tshwane Metro will cause unfair property rates increases of between 83% and 400% for property owners in Nokeng and Kungwini. This will make housing almost unaffordable for many living in these soon to be disestablished municipalities. The DA will change the property rates policy of the municipality to accommodate a phased-in approach for residents in Nokeng and Kungwini. We cannot bankrupt them overnight, we must be a caring government.

Die DA sal ook verseker dat daar omgesien word na Cullinan en Bronkhorstspruit na hulle insluiting in die Metro. Die bestaande begrotingsvoorstel vir die nuwe metro sal meebring dat hierdie areas se eiendomsbelasting tussen drie en tagtig persent en vierhonderd persent sal styg. Dit sal behuising byna onbekostigbaar duur maak vir hierdie inwoners. Die DA sal die stadsraad se eiendomsbelastingbeleid verander om inwoners van Cullinan en Bronkhorstspruit se akkommodeer. Ons kan nie hierdie inwoners oornag sonder huise laat nie. Ons moet omgee vir al ons inwoners.

The Ten Point Plan:

1. A drastic reduction in crime.

2. The creation of a transparent and corruption-free administration.

3. The appointment of officials who are fit for purpose.

4. An improvement in customer service.

5. A financially strong municipality.

6. A government that will care for the poor.

7. The encouragement of energy saving and “green” practices.

8. A new system of public participation.

9. Building new infrastructure and making sure existing infrastructure is maintained.

10. Uninterrupted services.

Die tienpuntplan

1. ‘n Drastiese verlaging in misdaad

2. Die skep van ‘n deursigtige en korrupsievrye administrasie

3. Munisipale amptenare sal op meriete aangestel word

4. ‘n Verbetering in klientediens

5. ‘n Finansiele sterk munisipaliteit

6. ‘n Munisipaliteit wat omgee vir die armes

7. Die aanmoediging in die gebruik van energiebesparende en omgewingsvriendelike praktyke

8. ‘n Nuwe stelsel vir openbare deelname

9. Die bou en instandhouding van infrastruktuur

10. Ononderbroke dienslewering

RESCUE PLAN FOR SCHUBART PARK RESIDENTIAL HOUSING

Brandon Topham, the DA’s mayoral candidate for the Tshwane Metro wanted to visit the notorious Schubart Park block of flats in the Pretoria CBD today but was denied entry to do so by the residents residing here. Clearly, this block of flats was turned into a safe haven for criminal elements. Even the Metro police are too scared to enter the premises. Schubart Park and neighbouring Kruger Park are text book examples of what inner city decay looks like if it is allowed to go on unabated.

“The Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality has apparently given up on Schubart Park and allowed it to degenerate into an urban death trap.” said Topham after visiting the facility. The DA is proposing a plan to rescue Schubart Park before it becomes a total human tragedy.

Elevators have been out of service for years. Criminals are stripping steal from the buildings’ concrete and crucial supporting infrastructure. These criminal elements, many of whom are illegal immigrants, wage a reign of terror in the building.

Human waste litters the corridors and an extreme stench warns of the increasing health risk.

The Metro Police is nowhere to be seen and violent resistance from residents prevent law enforcement.

By regaining control of the situation at Schubart Park the complex can be secured, cleaned up and renovated to restore dignity to the lives of its residents; it will serve as a model for other urban regeneration projects in the city.

If the DA wins the election on 18 May it will make a concerted effort to rescue Schubart Park by implementing the following plan.

1 Restore safety and control

· Metro police officers will be deployed across the complex to enforce by-laws and protect law-abiding residents until safety and order has been restored.

· Illegal inhabitants and criminal elements will be identified.

· A register of all occupants will be compiled.

2 Restore infrastructure and services

· An expert assessment will have to be conducted of the structural state of the buildings within the complex and the required restoration measures.

· If restoration and refurbishment is possible, the process will be executed on a floor-by-floor, block-by-block basis. The large scale removal of residents will be the very last measure.

3. Provide alternative accommodation

* If the Schubart Park buildings are indeed irreparable they pose a severe threat to occupants and should be progressively evacuated.

* If this is indeed the only workable option, current residents will be provided with occupation guarantees entitling them to alternative accommodation.

With constant urbanisation it is crucial that all housing resources are looked after and managed well to alleviate the need for housing among lower income groups.

The safety, human dignity and right of residents to access to housing will guide the DA in turning this disaster into a monument of hope. The alternative is not an option for the DA.

Residents of Schubart park should be able to live there with dignity. They should live in a clean, safe and healthy environment and the DA will make this its priority.

Tshwane DA Transport policy

INTRODUCTION

An effective public transport system is essential to stimulate growth of a local economy. Without an accessible and affordable way to travel, poor residents will not have access to economic opportunities. The availability of quality public transport also stimulates investment as businesses can more easily access labour. A cost effective public transport system not only connects people and economic opportunities, it also saves on transport costs for the ordinary man in the street.

THE SITUATION IN TSHWANE

Without an efficient public transport system the Tshwane Metropole can never become a competitive city. Proper public transport also promotes sustainability and efficiency within a municipality. Public transport within the Tshwane Metropole is in disarray for the following reasons.

Tshwane Bus Service

The Tshwane Municipal Bus Service is meant to extend access to transport to all residents. But the service is only serving the inner city, leaving township commuters largely outside the urban transport network.

Currently a large percentage of busses are in workshops, awaiting servicing, repairs or licenses.

Due to recent changes in the tariff structure, over some distances municipal busses are now more expensive than taxis.

Wildcat strikes, damage to property caused by these striking workers and a general lack of discipline bear testimony to the chaotic condition of the Tshwane Bus Service.

The unreliability of the Service undermines attempts to drive economic growth in the city, and serve as another example of how poor service delivery destroys people’s opportunities to escape poverty.

BRT

The National Treasury has withdrawn over R700 million earmarked for funding BRT implementation in the Tshwane Metro. Unsatisfactory planning and design for the initial BRT line were cited as reasons. This was a golden opportunity lost.

Wonderboom Airport

Due to tender irregularities the municipally owned and operated Wonderboom Airport ran out of fuel for the second time this year

Attempts to obtain an international operating license for the airport have dragged on for years.

The first attempt to allow scheduled flights from the airport failed due to a failed tender process.

Transport Integration

There is a lack of public transport mode integration and a resultant lack of co-ordinated scheduling and fee structure.

Commuters must purchase separate tickets for almost every mode of public transport in the city, even for the different bus services.

THE DA’S PLAN FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN THE TSHWANE METROPOLE

If the DA wins the Tshwane Metro on 18 May it will make the following its priorities for public transport in the city.

Introduction

Local Government has an important role to play in planning cities to make them public transport friendly, ensuring commuter safety, and administering subsidies to ensure that public transport is affordable to the majority of people.

More people using public transport will reduce infrastructure costs, save fuel, ease urban congestion and reduce pollution. Therefore DA policy will focus strongly on this.

All transport modes should complement as opposed to compete with each other so that a seamless system, with integrated ticketing, evolves.

The public transport system must be appropriate, accessible, comfortable, safe, well maintained, accessible to everyone, including the disabled, and efficient enough to draw people away from private cars, but at the same time affordable enough to the commuter to be sustainable. Finally, it must be sustainable.

The DA will involve private operators in providing these services, within a framework that ensures that the system operates efficiently and that all its elements complement each other.

Objective

To manage, regulate and encourage safe, efficient and cost effective public transport systems in the Tshwane Metro so that all citizens have access to quality public transport opportunities.

To have a public transport framework that provides universal opportunities to all citizens to access safe, efficient and cost effective transport to give them access to economic opportunities and essential services.

To have a public transport framework that provides universal opportunities to the safe, efficient and cost effective transport of goods to supply the local, SA and world economies

Policy Actions

The DA will implement the following within the Tshwane Metro to ensure a safe, quality, efficient, clean, affordable, sustainable and uninterrupted public transport system for the city and its citizens.

Full integration among all modes of public transport in the city, this will include:

Coordinated transport schedules between all bus services and train services and where possible taxi operators;

A single ticketing system to promote seamless travel between all modes of public transport; and

Service level agreements with private and public transport operators.

Establishment of a transport authority for the Tshwane metropole to coordinate the integration of public transport in the city as well as the administering of public transport subsidies.

The extension of the municipal bus service to all areas of the city to ensure universal access to public transport. Where this is not possible the DA lead council will enter into agreements with private sector companies to provide the service at municipal rates.

Reintroduction of the BRT in the city through a public-private partnership.

Creating a public-private partnership or fully outsourcing the operational management of the Wonderboom airport to improve air travel to and from the city.

The encouragement of private operators to enter the public transport market.

The introduction of a special metro police unit to promote safety within public transport in the city. This unit will also cooperate with the Railway police and private security operators where relevant.

Ensure that city planning practices in the city prioritises safe, quality, efficient, clean, affordable, sustainable and uninterrupted public transport for all new developments and re-developments.

Coordinate infrastructure investment between the council, provincial and national government and public and private transport operators.

Continuous certification of public transport operators will ensure that they continue to provide safe, quality, efficient, clean, affordable, sustainable and uninterrupted public transport to citizens of our city.

DA waste removal plan

DA will deliver waste removal service for all Tshwane residents

Residents of the Tshwane Metro have the worst access to refuse removal of all the country’s six metro cities, according to the 2010 quality of life survey conducted by the department of cooperative government and traditional affairs.

However, Tshwane is not the only area where refuse removal remains a problem. Today Brandon Topham conducted a joint visit with the DA’s Johannesburg Mayoral Candidate, Mmusi Maimane, in Rabie Ridge. Johannesburg is currently experiencing a refuse removal strike. Refuse removal strikes in neighbouring municipalities also affect Tshwane when refuse is spilled into rivers and streams. Hence the combined visit by the Tshwane and Johannesburg mayoral candidates today.

Irregular waste removal afflicts every community and this was very clear in Rabie Ridge today where garbage littered the whole neighbourhood and piling up on street corners as waste removal remains non-existent in the area.

During the visit Topham announced the DA’s plan to ensure uninterrupted universal waste removal services for all residents in the Tshwane Metro.

Waste removal has to be part of the package of free basic services which indigent residents receive, and the DA will make sure that this commitment is not confined to the realm of policy but implemented in practice.

The following eight point plan will direct the DA approach to ensure a reliable refuse removal service:

· Ensure that the right people are employed to the right positions: The first pillar of an effective and efficient government is its staff. The DA will link bonuses for senior management to objectively verifiable indicators, such as clean audit reports and performance reports and will ensure that municipal employees are appointed by an independent appointment committee, the voting members of which will be municipal officials.

· Improve transparency: The DA will open all council meetings, all Mayoral Committee meetings and all tendering processes would be thrown open to the public. In this way, the public can scrutinize council activities, suggest alternatives and hold the administration accountable. This will help to ensure that municipal owned entities, like Pikitup in Johannesburg, are subject to much greater levels of public scrutiny.

· Make local government more accountable: The DA will draw up a Service Level Agreement to set minimum service levels and standards that can be expected from the city, according to the financial position of the council. This Agreement will be publically available on the City of Johannesburg’s website, and will accompany all official communication sent to residents. It will also include a signed ‘Mayor’s Pledge’ that commits the Council to uphold its provisions. Furthemore, a DA-run administration will regularly measure levels of public satisfaction regarding service delivery and provide quarterly updates on the progress of the various municipal projects. By actively building accountability mechanisms such as performance contracts into the city administration, public representatives and public officials can be held to their word; and removed if they do not perform.

· Improve public communication with the City: A DA-run City Council will improve the channels of the communication between the City and members of the public by revamping the current call centre system. This would involve introducing improved training for call centre staff and putting in place specialist teams dedicated to dealing with enquiries received by call centres.

· Bring government closer to the people: By creating sub-councils that cater to the unique needs of each region within a municipality, service delivery becomes more flexible and responsive to the needs of people in every area; in addition to simply being closer and more accessible to the people. These sub-councils can therefore cater to the unique refuse removal challenges of every area much better than a centralized administration with a one-size-fits-all policy.

· Prioritisation of expenditure: The DA will rigorously prioritise expenditure, spending first on the infrastructure, goods and services essential for the health and development of Johannesburg’s people. This expenditure will include: implementing effective sewerage reticulation and waste removal systems, the maintenance and renewal of infrastructure (which is essential if services are to be delivered effectively) and providing infrastructure to new settlements and developments.

· Promote recycling: The DA will set waste reduction targets and engage with individual sectors in their areas to develop mechanisms to promote the reduction, re-use, recycling and recovery of waste.

· Partner with the private sector: Where feasible, a DA-run City Council will involve the private sector to enable more effective service delivery and to ensure back up plans are in place.