The African National Congress (ANC) Joburg caucus has made a court application to have the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) reviewed and set aside.
The council passed the IDP, a framework that informs the budget, and the budget for the 2017/18 period earlier in May this year. Many of the approximately 30 public meetings held before the
IDP’s regional summits either ended with disruptions or violence. At a Midrand regional summit meeting, some politicians even landed in the hospital after bloody clashes.
Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba said this was an attempt to undo the change that has been made, saying the move is undermining the will of residents.
But ANC spokesperson, Jolidee Matongo, said prior to the rollout of the IDP consultation process and shortly after the so-called extensive public consultation, the ANC pointed out the material flaws in the process.
“At the Council meeting that dealt with the IDP item, the ANC put on record its concerns about the exclusion of the majority of residents in the IDP consultation meetings,” said Matongo.
The party feels that many people were forced to leave meetings by the Metro police and said the violence that characterised some of the meetings cannot be left unchallenged.
Mashaba has made claims that the recent court application by the ANC to have the IDP reviewed and set aside, is an attempt to undermine the will of the people of Johannesburg and to force its way into the city. Both these are baseless and non-factual.
Matongo said the IDP is a document that should express the views of the people of Johannesburg on the kind of municipality they wish to live in.
“Therefore, the ANC Joburg Region’s court application is part and parcel of ensuring that the rights of the people of Johannesburg to decide on the kind of city they want to live in are protected.”
Mashaba hit back by saying the City has every intention of defending the application. He said the public participation process was successful despite disruptions.
“Through the recent IDP consultations, the City managed to reach over 8 000 residents throughout the City, compared to 3 000 under the ANC. The City also received over 1 000 written submissions and over 2 000 interactions on our social media platforms,” the mayor said.
Meanwhile, both parties are preparing for the second motion of no confidence by the ANC in both the mayor and speaker of the council, Vasco Da Gama on 30 November.
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