ANC welcomes the intervention in Oudtshoorn

30 July 2015

The ANC Western Cape welcomes the intervention to place the Oudtshoorn Municipality under administration with an ensuing assistance package from higher spheres of government.

The package to help Oudtshoorn getting out of its problems was brokered by national cooperative governance and traditional affairs minister Pravin Gordhan with other stakeholders. The next step is to appoint an administrator for the municipality.

ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman says: "It brings to end the many stories that the municipality and even the Cango Caves closed down. Now seamless service delivery can proceed and Oudtshoorn will get the help it deserves and which the DA-run provincial government withheld from it because it was under ANC control. The mess was firstly created by DA councillors!

“The trend of the DA is to refuse to support those municipalities under the ANC, but generously support (technical or otherwise), help with upgrading and distributes resources – even international donations – to only DA-run councils.

“The divided DA’s internal battles prevented it from legally getting control for more than two years. The power struggles between premier Helen Zille, her supporters, former provincial leader Ivan Meyer, the new provincial leader Patricia de Lille and local government MEC Anton Bredell - and initial refusal by some to accept the intervention - did Oudtshoorn and her people a disservice. De Lille also showed that she piggybacks on the DA and knows far too little about local government issues.

“They deserve better. The ANC hopes this administration will bring stability and a better deal for the people of this Little Karoo area. The ANC now calls on its councillors and all other parties to cooperate and put effort in to make things work.”

Statement issued by ANC Western Cape leader, Marius Fransman, July 30 2015