DA likes dramatising things, says Maile on Tshwane metro issues

Sometimes the DA is dramatic, and they like dramatising things, said Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Lebogang Maile to the media at a briefing to highlight some of the challenges faced by municipalities.

Highlighting issues in Tshwane metro, Maile said placing the metro under administration was painful although necessary to remedy some issues in the metro. Vowing to leave the municipality at a far better financial position, he projected a surplus of R1.5 billion when the administrators left the metro.

He said there was a cumulative R12 billion amount in irregular payments, which to date received the necessary oversight from Cogta.

The DA is just mischievous, he noted on allegations that the administrators cost taxpayers over R10 million since their appointment.

The DA, in a statement on Tuesday, said it learned that administrators in Tshwane have, for the past five months earned R955,940 each.

Maile, responding to the allegation, said it could not be accurate.

“The DA has been saying a lot of things attacking the administrators, and it’s just an act of desperation. They know we’ve fixed a lot of issues there.

“We’ve started with the water situation in Hammanskraal, which was a problem. [The DA] are trying to divert attention from us,” by creating a crisis.

Maile reiterated that the administrators were skilled with no less than a masters for each of them under their belts.

Tshwane, Ekhurhuleni, and Johannesburg were in a good financial state to sustain themselves with slight improvements, he noted.

He did, however, highlight the R8.5-billion loss due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There was a revenue reduction in most municipalities as a result of, but not exclusively due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he noted.

Touching on the pending cases before the courts, which included a case by the DA in an attempt to regain control of the metro, Maile said the issues were before the courts, including the constitutional court and any outcome would be welcome by the ANC.

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