Midvaal: Our record on job creation and service delivery is excellent - just ask Gauteng's Premier
I would urge Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe and his colleagues to engage with Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane on the findings of her 2009 Gauteng Quality of Life Survey.
On the weekend, Mr Motlanthe claimed that the DA administration in Midvaal is not creating jobs, while ANC spokesperson Dumisa Ntuli claimed "there is a very poor level of service delivery", and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela claimed that there is a lot of corruption in Midvaal.
It is necessary to deal with each of these in turn:
First, Mr Motlanthe attacks the DA's record on job creation in Midvaal, but Premier Makonyane's Quality of Life Survey shows unemployment in Midvaal is lower than in any other municipality in the province, at 26%. Even in Johannesburg, the economic hub of the continent, it recorded unemployment at 41%.
In reality, Midvaal is Gauteng's fastest growing local economy with the lowest unemployment rate in the province, drawing in major investors and employers such as Heineken and Ferrero Rocher, providing stable economic growth and job opportunities for local residents. Of all the municipalities in Gauteng, a resident has a better chance of getting a job in Midvaal than anywhere else.