WE NEED CHANGE!
JACK BLOOM'S MESSAGE AS HE RUNS FOR GAUTENG PREMIER
Speech at campaign launch held at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg on 29 July
We need change!
This is my message to voters in Gauteng who are sick and tired of the failed promises and rampant corruption in the ANC provincial government.
Unemployment has increased by 500 000 people since Nomvula Mokonyane took over as premier in April 2009.
This means that there are more than 1.8 million people in this province who do not have jobs.
Young people were promised 100 000 jobs last year under the Youth Employability Programme, but only 16 jobs were actually created according to official figures.
Six Township Enterprise Hubs were promised, but this has now been slashed to only three, and these are not yet operational.
But it's not just inefficiency and incompetence.
The ANC provincial government wastes huge amounts of money.
According to the Auditor-General reports for 2011/12, Gauteng provincial government departments incurred a total of R1.03 billion unauthorised expenditure, R4.1 billion irregular expenditure and R365 million fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
This provincial government is incapable of building a hospital or a school within budget or on time.
Typically, the cost will more than double and it will be years overdue.
The Jabulani hospital in Soweto was meant to cost only R336 million, but has so far cost more than R900 million and is still not open for patients.
But absolutely no one has been made accountable for this, and no wasted money whatsoever has been recovered in this long-running fiasco.
R3 billion has been spent on the Gauteng Online project to bring computers to schools, but little has been achieved with this money.
People in Gauteng are suffering:
- According to the Gauteng City Region Observatory, 20% of Gauteng residents in 2011 had to skip a meal in the past 12 months because of lack of money, up from 17% in 2009.
- Almost one in five (19%) of Gauteng households live in informal housing. More than 2 million people live in shacks without basic services.
- Only 30% feel safe walking at night, and 84% say that corruption is the main threat to our democracy.
Gauteng is a smart province with a not-so-smart provincial government.
The DA can win Gauteng as people are hungry for change.
I will campaign ceaselessly across this province to spread the DA message that a better government is possible.
I have served as an elected public representative for 22 years. I have fought for improved conditions in public hospitals, and I have exposed major corruption scandals.
I pledge as premier of Gauteng to stamp out corruption mercilessly.
Public money will be spent on public services, not extravagant cars and corporate credit cards.
The arrogant Blue light brigades will be abolished, as in the Western Cape.
The e-tolls should be scrapped.
My vision for Gauteng is that no person is left behind or forgotten.
Opportunities should be created through education and innovation.
Red tape should be slashed so that small businesses create jobs on a massive scale.
As Premier of Gauteng, I will ensure real delivery, and a government that is accountable, effective and free from corruption.
My campaign slogan is "Bloom does it best!"
Issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Leader, Gauteng Legislature and Candidate for DA nomination as Gauteng Premier, July 29 2013
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