The Democratic Alliance on 5 November 2012 sent a dossier of complaints to the Public Protector’s office in Pretoria, highlighting the NMBM’s ongoing mismanagement of resources, wasteful expenditure, lack of good governance and infringements of human rights enshrined in our Constitution.
Our metro is the victim of a bad government, incapable of dealing with its mandate to deliver services and manage its resources effectively. The current infighting within the regional ANC is further compounding our metro’s problems. Political interference by the governing ANC in the affairs of the Municipality, has reached intolerable levels. The interference is causing confusion amongst officials, but more importantly, it’s hampering progress in crucial areas such as the appointment of Executive Managers, stalling disciplinary action against officials and alleged tender irregularities.
The following are some of the complaints stipulated in the dossier:
- Financial Crisis relating to the FIFA World Cup overspend and the impending AFCON event that will require unbudgeted millions to host;
- Failure to appoint a Municipal Manager and Executive Directors;
- Poor or no implementation of Kabuso Report recommendations;
- Housing allocation and the new housing rectification industry;
- The R1 billion funding for the Integrated Public Transport System that to date is not operational;
- Tender irregularities;
- Cadre deployment;
- Poor infrastructure maintenance;
- Immoral spending in the NMBM Chief Whip’s office;
- Failure to act in disciplinary matters;
- Unfunded mandates and debts of organs of state;
- Eradication of the bucket system;
- Ineffective traffic services;
- Lack of commitment to good governance;
- Various case of corruption, fruitless and wasteful expenditure; and
- Electricity theft.
These are but a few of the major issues that prompted us to compile this dossier. We regard the above complaints as the most serious facing our municipality.
Only a change in government or recourse in the law can save our Metro from total collapse and disintegration. The public needs to be protected and their rights have to be enforced.
The DA has the capacity to run a metro as we have shown where we govern. The need for clean, effective governance has never been greater. This is a warning the ANC should heed as 2016 approaches.
Cllr Leon De Villiers
Leader of the Official Opposition – NMBM
