Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink ‘makes the right noises’

The City of Tshwane mayor’s plans to turn the city’s rotten revenue record around was met with scepticism by opposition parties yesterday.

During his state of the city address, mayor Cilliers Brink said his immediate priority was to get control of the city’s finances.

One of the plans were to reduce the city’s expenses by up to 30% and aggressively ramp up revenue collection.

R800 million

“Tshwane Ya Tima is being reinstituted, not as a campaign, but as a standard operating procedure,” Brink said. “Last year, Tshwane Ya Tima generated R800 million in arrears payments. We now know the campaign was later undermined by illegal reconnections. We have learnt from this and adapted.”

The city would also focus on:

• Reducing the number of unscheduled water and electricity outages;

• Investing in core infrastructure and mitigating the effects of load shedding by producing and procuring energy independent of Eskom;

• Improving pothole repairs, street light maintenance, grass cutting and public cleaning; and

• Improving the focus and functioning of the Tshwane Metro Police Department.

READ MORE: Parties call on new Tshwane mayor to focus on stabilising city finances, service delivery

Infrastructure

Brink said the city was paying the price today for the lack of investment in infrastructure in the first decade of the municipality’s existence.

“Water and sewage systems have been degraded, leading to sewage spills in communities such as Winterveld, Mabopane and Chantelle.

“The Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Plant is biologically and mechanically overloaded and requires R2.5 billion in upgrades.

“Serious questions remain about the integrity and effectiveness of the city’s supply chain management system to ensure that we get the right contractors for the job,” Brink said.

The city was forced to clear tons of waste from illegal dumping sites, costing millions in resource mobilisation.

Eskom

“These are funds that could be redirected to essential basic services,” he said. “It is imperative that the city reduces its dependence on Eskom for the supply of about 2 500MW of electricity.

In the next three years, at least 1 000MW must come from alternative sources, namely a combination of own generation and procurement from independent power producers,” he said.

ANC spokesperson in Tshwane Joel Masilela said the mayor has admitted in the past seven years, the Democratic Alliance (DA) was not able to break any ground or do better than the ANC would have done.

“Ever since the DA took over, we have experienced audit findings which meant the city’s finances were not in good provision. This is the result of a government that was unable to run a city well,” he said.

‘Not serious’

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) chair Obakeng Ramabodu said the DA was not serious about dealing with the city’s issues.

“The mayor only spoke about crime in Hatfield; those white children of the former apartheid people are the only ones who get security.

When are they going to secure the townships,” he asked. Ramabodu said the EFF acknowledged the address was a sign of acknowledgement of the mess that was created by the DA.

“We are giving them a chance; we are observing.” Political analyst Piet Croucamp said the decisions Cilliers proposed were all painful and difficult to implement, but necessary if you want to be effective.

“It looks like Brink has his priorities straight and wants to do the right thing.” Croucamp said to get the most basic services delivered, efficacy and reducing the most basic dilapidation of the city would cost money, because Tshwane was previously badly managed.

“He is new to the job, but he makes the right noises. But the proof is in the pudding.”

ALSO READ: Tshwane mayor to propose R1 billion allocation for electricity, water infrastructure

– marizkac@citizen.co.za