Johannesburg is one of the most highly contested metros in the province.
As the municipal elections date nears, more parties are coming out to say what they will do better in Johannesburg should they be elected into office.
Franco de Lange of the Freedom Front Plus (FFP) is running for the mayoral candidacy of the City of Johannesburg.
De Lange is no stranger to City Council issues. He has been a councillor in the City of Johannesburg since 2009 and said he was more than ready to serve the people of Johannesburg as mayor.
He mentioned some of the things that he believed were holding service delivery back. “I believe that each ward should be allocated its own budget,” he said. Elaborating on this, De Lange said this would ensure that all residents received service delivery from the City.
“Currently, money is spent in certain areas only – areas [where] the ANC knows that they have a stronghold and they end up neglecting other areas,” he alleged.
The mayoral hopeful also mentioned that he would make sure that he took governance to grassroots. According to him, the current centralised management of the municipality is not working and is breeding more problems. “I will recall municipal structures and give regions the power to sort out municipal accounts.”
De Lange added that the billing crisis the City is experiencing began after 2004 following the introduction of the centralised management system in the City. “From 1994 to 2004 there were no billing problems in the City.”
It was due to his submission to the City Council that pensioners aged 70 and older no longer have to pay tax on properties below the value of
R2-million. “For the first time in history, I made the submission to the council and it was accepted during the 2013/2014 financial year,” he concluded.
Add us on Whatsapp for the latest news by adding 079 4395 345 to your contact list and just send your name to us so we can save your number. Click here to find out more about our Whatsapp policy.
