Alex Shutdown is about ANC’s 8 May loss in Gauteng, not service delivery

3 April 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will be the first to state that the conditions under which the people of Alexandra live are far from what was promised in 1994. Equally, there was little work done by the ousted ANC government to bring development and dignity to the historically significant community.

The multiparty coalition government, led by Mayor Herman Mashaba is well aware of the problems facing the people of Alex, and regularly engages with residents through Integrated Development Plan (IDP) meetings and stakeholder engagement meetings.

In light of the progress we have made in a short period, coupled with our regular engagements with the community and the ANC’s coordinated social media campaign, it is becoming clear that the Alex Shutdown is a planned disinformation campaign by the ANC, which faces losing Gauteng on 8 May.

This would not be the first time the ANC has engaged in dirty tricks to create the impression the City of Johannesburg is not delivering; they have previously violently disrupted IDP meetings in communities across Johannesburg, denying residents the opportunity to contribute to the development of a City looted and neglected by the ANC.

The DA has consistently queried what happened to the R1.7 billion set aside for Alex Renewal Project announced back in 2001 by the ANC. This money, like a lot of money mismanaged by the corrupt and failing ANC, has not been accounted for. The likes of Paul Mashatile, Parks Tau and Jacob Mamabolo need to tell the people of Alex where the money went.

Well aware of the need to build a community that the people of Alex can be proud of, and in which they live in dignity, the multiparty coalition government has poured significant resources into bringing visible and lived change, all while the ANC-led Gauteng Government has sat on its hands.

Indeed, more needs to be done to bring change to Alex. Since 2016, when the people of Johannesburg entrusted Mayor Herman Mashaba to bring change, the following has been achieved, with more to come:

- The opening of 2 new clinics in Alexandra (Rover Park and Thoko Nongoma) with a third to be opened in the coming weeks

- 686 stands in informal settlements have been electrified

- R60 million over 3 years to complete the new Banakekelen Hospice and Clinic in Alexandra

- R20 million in 2018/19 which will begin the construction of the Alexandra Sports and Youth Development Safe Hub

- R80 million being spent in the 2018/19 financial year by Joburg Water on replacing water and sewer pipes in Alexandra

- The construction of the Joe Nhlanhla pedestrian bridge in the 2018/19 financial year

- The completion of the Alexandra Automotive Hub in 2018/19 as a job creation initiative in Alexandra

- The Alexandra Opportunity Centre will open in 2018/19 providing support to SMMEs in Alexandra

- The completion of Jukskei Water Management Plan to protect people and property close to the Jukskei River in times of flooding

- The installition of 100 new public lights in Alexandra

- R20 million to be spent in 2018/19 on improvement of the Helen Joseph Hostel in Alexandra

This is only the start of fixing what the ANC broke.

The ANC is playing with people’s lives in order to achieve narrow political objectives.

While the ANC plays dangerous games, the DA will continue working for the people, so we can fix what was broken.

Issued by John Moodey, DA Gauteng Provincial Leader, 3 April 2019