Stop blaming apartheid
I think that the ANC in Randfontein failed for over twenty years to use taxpayers monies effective and efficiently.
• Jacques Julius, Democratic Alliane Constituency chairperson – Randfontein and Westonaria, writes:
On 8 May 2013, the Randfontein Local Municipality held a Special council meeting to discuss the State of Town address delivered a week before that by Executive Mayor, Cllr. Sylvia Thebenare.
Instead of discussing the content of the document, speaker after speaker from the ANC caucus put the blame for the lack of service delivery on the effects of Apartheid and not assessing the gains made in the past year.
A good point of departure to set up a real debate, would be the statement made by the ANC`s Planning Minister, Trevor Manuel on 4 March 2013, “The government has run out of excuses and must stop blaming Apartheid for service delivery failures”.
Obviously the Randfontein ANC caucus do not agree with this statement or conveniently opt to oppose the Minister. The conclusion that I draw from their own stance is that they admit that service delivery is not where it is supposed to be and so choose the excuse of blaming Apartheid.
As a point of departure I would suggest that it would be very narrow- minded to think that Apartheid did not leave any scars on the residents of Randfontein and this is not at all my opinion.
In fact, I think that it had a devastating effect on us like in the rest of the country. On the contrary though, the ANC was in the driving seat in Randfontein for almost twenty years now. The ANC is the ruling party in Randfontein for the fourth term now with each term stretching over five years. The immediate question springing to mind is whether they changed the lives of the residents of Randfontein over this very long period?
Nepotism and cadre deployment caused a drain of professionalism in the administration of this Municipality. This is a direct obstacle in the smooth running of the administration and ultimately service delivery.
I know that there are much better skilled people in the likes of Mohlakeng, Toekomsrus, Zenzele and other areas in Randfontein that can do a much better job. Instead people are employed based on their alliance to politically connected people in power.
To the surprise of the ANC, this has nothing to do with Apartheid but their doing and self-interest.
Can we blame bad audited statements on Apartheid? Or the fact that the Municipality do not have money to pay for services?
They even have a notice up that says no monies will be paid until the next financial year. Isn’t it sad?
The inability to attract major investors to Randfontein to create jobs for the past twenty years is evident of the lack of vision by the ANC- led Municipality and not Apartheid.
One thing that I know the ANC did well was to give freebies to people -free houses and free services. Well just so people in power know residents in Randfontein welcome freebies but now they need jobs to provide for themselves and their families.
In conclusion, I think that the ANC in Randfontein failed for over twenty years to use taxpayers monies effective and efficiently.
Stop blaming apartheid.
Letter published unedited – Editor
