Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) opposition parties described the State of the City Address (SOCA) as “lies and full of empty promises”.
The executive mayor, Clr Mondli Gungubele, delivered the SOCA on Wednesday.
The leader of the Independent Ratepayers Association of South Africa (Irasa), Clr Izak Berg, said the the mayor used the SOCA to campaign for the coming local government election, ignoring important issues that affect the residents.
Clr Berg said the mayor has failed to end corruption, fraud, wasteful and fruitless expenditure in Ekurhuleni.
“Ekurhuleni is showing an increase in fraud, corruption, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Seeing that we took the State of the City Address 2016 to the people of Tsakane, why did the mayor fail to informed the residents of Tsakane about the substandard work and fraud in building their library and the guardhouse where the contractor failed to adhere to the specifications set out by the metro? The mayor should have explained to councillors and guests why we had to sit in a hall without air conditioners when the EMM paid over R6,2-million for air conditioners worth about R700 000, which also were not delivered according to specifications by the same contractor,” Clr Berg said.
Clr Stefanie Kruger from the DA said Ekurhuleni’s economics plan excludes the youth.
“You are not developing a generation of engineers, doctors or lawyers. You are creating a lost generation with no hopes or dreams, a generation of loiterers, alcoholics and ‘dagga koppies’ – a generation where children are having children is the order of the day,” said Clr Kruger.
Clr Kruger said the mayor did not say anything about Ekurhuleni’s social development department that needs attention.
“At most of the non-profit early childhood development centres in Ekurhuleni, their biggest stress is knowing where the next meal will come from. In primary and high schools, the Department of Basic Education makes provision for feeding schemes but what about the youngest members of society in ECD facilities around Ekurhuleni?This falls on your lap Mr Mayor. You are failing our children,” said Clr Kruger.
A member of the roads and stormwater oversight committee and a DA councillor, Clr Selby Thekiso, said the developments along the R21 are not benefiting the residents of Ekurhuleni.
“The industrial development that is taking place along that route does nothing to redress our past imbalances but rather it perpetuates a system of social elitism, something which we must fight at all costs. We should mobilise our people and resources towards the implementation of our strategic imperatives, partnering through initiatives that will inevitably shape the course of their futures,” said Clr Thekiso.
