DA-led Tshwane and Joburg’s track record of rooting out corruption speaks for itself

16 August 2018

The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the ANC’s allegations of tender and procurement irregularities in City of Tshwane and the City of Joburg.

While we question the timing of these pronouncements, which coincides with the ramping-up of the ANC’s campaign efforts, we will ensure that any valid cases are thoroughly investigated, and due action is taken.

Since taking over these two metros in 2016, we have committed ourselves to root out corruption and ensuring that there is consistent consequence management in each and every case that is discovered. Unlike the ANC, these are not empty promises.

To date, Mayor Msimanga has been able to stabilise the City of Tshwane’s finances by strengthening controls over supply chain processes, slashing unauthorised and unnecessary expenditure and extricating the City from unlawful and expensive contracts which benefitted the politically connected which the Sputla administration actively sort to cover-up. This is with particular respect to the biggest single item of ANC corruption in local government history- the PEU Smart Meter contract valued in excess of R2 billion. This DA-led administration, together with civil society, was successful in convincing the courts to set it aside bringing us closer to providing affordable electricity supply.

Other contracts entered into by the ANC administration that the Msimanga administration is currently challenging include the West Capital Project, the Moipone Fleet Contract and the Broadband Contract valued at several billions of rand.

Additionally, when the DA assumed office in Tshwane we were disturbed to find that the ANC had made approximately 900 political appointments all drawing salaries from the City which we have since slashed.

With respect to GladAfrica, we are pleased Executive Mayor Msimanga has taken this matter seriously and we look forward to his imminent announcement on the steps he is to follow should maladministration have taken place in the appointment of this contract by the officials of the city.

The DA-led City of Tshwane has also implemented much needed reforms to the City’s EPWP recruitment policy, effectively ending the ANC’s system of insiders and outsiders that previously prevented equal access to job opportunities in the City.

As of April this year, Mayor Herman Mashaba’s Anti-Corruption Unit has uncovered a whopping more than R18 billion in corrupt activities left behind by the former ANC administration. This is pertinent because in dealing with the 3500 cases of fraud, corruption and maladministration in Johannesburg, totalling over R18 billion, never once has anyone in ANC-run  Gauteng Provincial Government displayed any interest in these investigations. This includes the multi-billion rand cases of the EPG Smart Meters and the MTC Broadband which implicates two National Ministers.

This is all evidence of a DA-run City handling public money with care, ensuring it is spent on the people, not politicians.

The truth of the matter is that the ANC was in the business of fleecing the residents of Tshwane and Johannesburg and Mayors Msimanga and Mashaba have made great strides in pursuit of cutting corruption so that the residents of those metros get the services to which they are entitled.

The latest bluster by the ANC purporting to be against corruption is shoddy guesswork designed to draw attention away from the corruption that the DA-led administrations in Gauteng have had to clean up.

Our residents in the metros where we govern are experiencing real Change and improved service delivery, and this is only the beginning. We will not be deterred or distracted by cheap politicking that seeks to further oppress the residents of this province.

Issued by John Moodey, DA Gauteng Provincial Leader, 16 August 2018