DA Leader John Steenhuisen launches civil society outreach tour in Lesedi Municipality

13 July 2023

Today, the Democratic Alliance joined councillors in the Lesedi Local Municipality in the south of Gauteng who have partnered with civil society organisation, Afriforum, to take service delivery into their own hands in the absence of the local administration.

This visit marks the beginning of a nationwide tour by DA Leader John Steenhuisen to reach out to civil society bodies and organised communities that will be vital to the mission to rescue South Africa.

While the Moonshot Pact offers a credible alternative to decades of ANC misrule, the DA knows that politicians alone cannot fix what the ANC has broken.

That is why we are building an ecosystem of change to partner with civil society to rebuild our country after next year’s election.

If we are to arrest the collapse of the South African state, we will need to start by correcting the severe maladministration of local government in provinces across the country.

For local municipalities to be fixed, the services that underpin local economies and that ensure the sustained collection of rates and municipal revenue, will often fall to civil society.

By partnering with these crucial civil bodies and organised communities, the DA will help bridge the gap between state collapse under the ANC, and a new start for many provinces and municipalities under a DA government free of corruption and cadre deployment.

With this in mind, Steenhuisen will be visiting a number of small towns across South Africa in the coming months to highlight these vital partnerships in his bid to assemble civil society and community organisations to join the mission to rescue South Africa.

Accompanied by Dr Willem Sprong from the Afriforum Heidelberg branch, DA Midvaal Executive Mayor, Cllr Peter Teixeira, DA Vaal Regional Chairperson, Prudence Hlanyane, and DA Lesedi Constituency Head, Wendy Alexander, John Steenhuisen and local DA public representatives rolled up their sleeves to undertake road maintenance and pothole filling in Conqueror, Heidelberg.

This small town is one of hundreds around the country where strategic local partnerships have taken over the role of the local municipality to deliver services to residents. Afriforum is a key partner in this municipality.

Under the ANC, the Lesedi Local Municipality is plagued by service delivery failure such as malfunctioning streetlights, potholes, limited maintenance of parks and recreational spaces, vandalism of electrical boxes by scrap metal thieves, inconsistent meter readings, and no enforcement of local by-laws.

The failure of these basic functions by the local administration paralyses economic activity, affects municipal revenue streams, and seriously affects the sustainable functionality of the municipality.

Lesedi is just one example of what many small towns in South Africa have become under failed and corrupt ANC governments.

It is not impossible to rescue South Africa, but it is urgent.

The monumental task of rescuing our country from state collapse cannot be done by political parties alone.

By bringing civil society bodies, organised communities, and active South African citizens into the an ecosystem of change, the DA will form the centre of a new approach to government that combines public administration with civilian experience and expertise to bring a better life to all South Africans.

Issued by John Steenhuisen, Leader of the Democratic Alliance, 13 July 2023