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The DA Tshwane Caucus condemns President Cyril Ramaphosa’s blatant attempt to score cheap political points while campaigning for the ANC in Mamelodi this weekend. Especially given the fact that the lack of water in certain sections of Mamelodi falls squarely on his government’s shoulders. It appears that the president is more interested in politicking than addressing critical issues that communities face.
Municipalities, including Tshwane, don’t operate in isolation but within the Republic of South Africa. The failings of his government directly impact municipalities’ ability to deliver services. In this case, the deteriorating state of SAPS under President Cyril Ramaphosa has led to criminal syndicates openly stealing water through illegal connections, exacerbating the water crisis in parts of Mamelodi. Furthermore, illegal land grabs surged during the president’s extended lockdown, leading to a significant rise in illegal water and electricity connections.
The President missed an opportunity to demonstrate leadership by engaging with Executive Mayor Cilliers Brink and coming up with a solution that would capacitate SAPS to deliver on their mandate of crime prevention. Instead, in typical fashion, he decided to put the needs of the ANC over the needs of the people of South Africa by using the opportunity to try discredit the DA for his government’s failures.
It’s widely acknowledged that many water issues in Tshwane, as well as South Africa as a whole, stem from ANC tender corruption. The collapse of the Rooiwall Waste Water Treatment plant squarely falls on the shoulders of ANC tenderpreneur Edwin Sodi, who was implicated in the State Capture report.
Under this presidency, we have witnessed ongoing looting of the state, the crippling of State Owned Entities (SOE) resulting in load shedding and water shedding, and the collapse of the SAPS. Every single on of the formerly mentioned due to a president whose lack of backbone can seemingly be attributed to his poor posture due to the dollars stuffed in his couch. All of which has worsened the lives of ordinary South Africans.
The DA Tshwane Caucus urges President Cyril Ramaphosa to prioritise governance over political posturing. Until then, the DA Tshwane Caucus will persist in building a capital city we can all be proud of.