Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba, who has been pushed to visit Alexandra earlier than previously announced, to answer to Alex residents’ grievances, has met with city councillors to table a way forward on the ongoing protests in the township.
However, ANC councillors from the township concerned did not attend Mashaba’s meeting.
In the meeting, Mashaba stated that ward councillors who claimed to represent the people of Alex were not attending meetings, which was a clear sign of their lack of intention to find workable solutions for communities.
He told the speaker of council, Vasco Da Gama, that ANC members were even absent when the service delivery draft budget document was meant to be noted by council in February. A quorum ensured that the draft budget was passed.
“Not a single ANC councillor came to council on that day. I’m afraid they lied to the speaker because they all labelled private business as a reason for their absence.”
This was proven to be a lie since the councillors were seen at a protest on the very same day, he claimed.
They were campaigning with the president of the country throughout the city when public representatives had an important function on issues relating to the city, Mashaba said.
He said it was very important as a councillor to take messages from council back to residents, in particular the draft budget council had proposed.
It was Mashaba’s view that ANC ward councillors who claimed to represent the people of Alex were on a campaign to discredit the work done by the DA.
“I have also learnt through the media that I’m banned in Alexandra … let’s discuss and see if I might get a permit to be there. I, however, am really determined to be there to speak to the people.”
In explaining why he went to Vlakfontein to allocate house stands instead of going to Alex, Mashaba said he had learnt on Sunday that the memorandum was going to be delivered at the regional offices in Sandton.
“There was no way I would have cancelled going to Vlakfontein.”
The mayor was meant to meet with Alexandra councillors to smooth things over ahead of his visit on Monday and to discuss progress made in the embattled township.
The mayor had earlier said the meetings would focus on attending to the grievances of locals, which so far involved “politicking”.
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