The only way forward for Kimberley is when the people come first

1 August 2018

The Democratic Alliance in the Northern Cape welcomes the fact that calm has been restored to Kimberley, following the victory of the community in the Northern Cape High Court yesterday.

Pending the finalisation of the matter on the 22nd of August, we want to see that the community’s interests are being protected.

The new Executive Mayor of the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality, Councillor Pula Thabane, must respect the mandate given to him by the community and commit to doing his utmost best to be worthy of the trust that has been placed in him. We do not want him to do us any favours. He must simply perform his duties in such a way that services are delivered to all residents, irrespective of their political affiliation.

The matter around the electricity tariff structures is one of the first which must be addressed and resolved.

As the DA, we expect the Mayor to take leadership in cleaning up Kimberley. The city which used to sparkle is now filthy. The sight of broken street signs, overturned trash cans and rubbish heaps creates a very poor impression and does not inspire confidence that tourists will want to return to visit our wonderful attractions. The visitor’s centre at the civic centre where long-distance buses stop still remains cordoned off with barbed wire, even though this is supposed to be a place which welcomes tourists to our city.

We also call on Mayor Thabane to address the community’s grievances around broken street lights, the poor conditions of roads and the ongoing leaks of water and raw sewerage. These service delivery failures are indicative of a government which does not care about its residents and has serious implications for the safety, health and wellbeing of our people.

While calm has been restored and the municipality has new leadership, the old ANC still remains. Real change that puts the people first, delivers services and creates jobs will only come with a DA-led government. The people of the Northern Cape have the opportunity to usher in this kind of change in 2019.

Issued by Andrew Louw, DA Northern Cape Provincial Leader, 1 August 2018