DA is the only beacon of hope to rebuild North West towns and cities

26 October 2021

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Leon Basson MP, DA North West Provincial Leader.

With only 6 days to go before the polls open, the people of North West have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring an end to the failed governance of the corrupt and factionalised ANC regime in every town and city in the province.

Throughout the North West there is not a town, city, and community that have experienced the suffering brought about by the ANC’s failure to plan, deliver services, build new and maintain existing infrastructure.

Whether it is losing your job because businesses are forced to downsize or close down because of a lack of water, as we saw in Lichtenburg with the disinvestment of the Clover cheese factory or the countless small businesses that were affected by the economic decline brought about by non-existent service delivery and the ANC government's ridiculous lockdown regulations.

Today, more than 865 000 people in North West cannot find a job. Over the last decade, unemployment in the province has doubled, the current unemployment rate in North West stands at 46.9%.

There is not a single municipality in North West that can respond to the needs of people. Every municipality in this province has been collapsed by the wanton destruction brought by the ANC in government. Not a single clean audit. Every tender and project seeks only to line the pockets of ANC politicians and cadres, instead of improving the lives of citizens.

The Auditor-General identified that all local municipalities in the North West are trapped in a downward spiral. For the 2019/20 financial year, Unauthorised Expenditure of R2,6 billion, Irregular Expenditure at R4.1 billion (R25 billion closing balance), and Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure of R422 million were incurred. If ever there was a need for evidence of the failures of the ANC in government, these audit reports are it.

Irregular electricity supply, coupled with loadshedding, and a massive R1 billion Eskom debt, wreak havoc on businesses and residents alike. Roads are untravellable, with a backlog of almost R40 billion, and the housing backlog in the North West stands at 240 000 units.

Sewage pollutes our streets and rivers, while more than R1,6 billion is needed to just service the existing water and sewerage infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the ANC-governed Sedibeng Water Board has decided to stop supplying bulk water to people due to the non-payment of bulk water accounts by these ANC-governed municipalities as we have seen in Maquassi Hills and Lekwa-Teemane.

It is an indisputable fact that unemployment and failed local governance are the greatest crises we face in North West today. A double burden of desperation and misery that kills off any hope of living productive and prosperous lives.

But there is always hope.

In six days’ time, every eligible voter can bring an end to the misery by standing up to bring an end to the ANC regime by voting DA, the only party that gets things done. Now more than ever, the people of North West must unite behind the DA so that we can rebuild every small dorpie, town, and city.

The reality is, that if voters fail to bring change on Monday, 1 November, the North West will become a failed province, beyond any repair. A united vote behind the DA will bring change that will rebuild what the ANC has destroyed. There is still time to fix North West.

The DA in government delivers. The DA in government does not tolerate corruption. The DA in government does not steal money. A DA in government delivers services, maintains infrastructure, and attracts investment that creates jobs.

This is not mere politicking or hearsay, that DA governments deliver services and improve people’s lives is a fact. Whether it is the Auditor-General, StatsSA, Ratings Afrika, and News24’s Out-of-Order Index, DA governments far outperform the governments of the ANC and the IFP.

The DA can govern municipalities in North West. And we will deliver because we have a credible track record across South Africa. The DA governed Midvaal Municipality is the best governed in Gauteng, the DA governed Kouga Municipality is the best performing municipality in the Eastern Cape, and Mossel Bay leads in the Western Cape.

The time has come to bring a DA government to your town.

The choice on election day next week is simple. A vote for the ANC is a vote for failure. A vote for a smaller party is a vote for failure.

But a vote for the DA is a vote for a future of prosperity, service delivery, and good governance. The DA remains the only alternative to ANC dominance, while smaller parties campaign against the DA, the DA campaigns for the people, against the ANC.

The time has come to throw petty politics out with ANC's failed governance, to vote for a better future.

On election day, vote wisely. Vote DA.

Issued by Leon Basson, DA North West Provincial Leader, 26 October 2021