DA rejects proposed move to write off millions owed by the Department of Public Works
19 June 2019
The Democratic Alliance in eThekwini is extremely worried and is opposed to the move by eThekwini Municipality to write off millions of rands owed by the Department of Public Works. At the Executive Committee meeting yesterday the report was tabled seeking approval by the committee to write off over seven million rand in interest owed by the department.
It will never be accepted by the DA that every time struggling ratepayers owe the City on their accounts their services get cut off, but big institutions like government departments and parastatals are treated with kid gloves at the expense of ordinary ratepayers.
The current budget statement report indicates that government departments owe the City above four hundred million rand, and state-owned enterprises owe the City more than a hundred and five million rand.
The DA has been consistently saying that the City must collect every cent owed to it to avoid having to rely on borrowing billions every year. It is clear that there is no political will by ANC councillors to ensure government departments pay monies owed to the municipality. It is also clear that the ANC internal factional battles are crippling the management of the City as it was witnessed during the EXCO meeting where two factions spoke in different 'languages' fighting each other when such an important issue was discussed.
The DA will never support any move to weaken the ability of the municipality to collect money owed to it, especially by big institutions like the government. The latest figures indicate that the City has failed to deliver on the basic needs of the people and have so far failed to reach half its annual target of new electricity and water connections to deserving households.
It is clear for all to see that the ANC has failed in eThekwini and that residents are not being prioritised. The DA will continue to fight for clean governance in eThekwini.
Issued by Thabani Mthethwa, DA eThekwini Chief Whip, 19 June 2019
