Note to Editors: Please find an English soundbite by Cllr Brandon Pretorius here
If the City of Ekurhuleni’s Executive Mayor Ald. Nkosindiphile Xhakaza was truly concerned about the negative effect electricity tariffs would have on residents, he would have made this intervention during the budget process before violence flared up.
The DA voted against the implementation of these tariffs, warning that should they come into effect they would leave residents whose finances are already thinly-stretched in the precarious situation of having to decide whether to heat or eat.
Instead of implementing prudent financial management, this failed coalition chose to foist its failures on ordinary, hardworking people by raising unaffordable fixed tariffs.
The Executive Mayor must not present disingenuous answers to angry residents in Thembisa when he knows full well that his government is in the wrong.
The DA wrote to NERSA requesting that the regulator investigate the poor mathematics used by MMC for Finance Jongizizwe Dlabathi to contrive these figures.
Poor decision making, bad planning and an uncaring attituded by the ANC-EFF-ActionSA coalition have brought us to this point.
This failed coalition was aided by small parties in council who chose to snuggle up to the ANC-EFF-ActionSA instead of putting residents first.
It’s time for lies, and extortion of residents to end.
The DA will always stand on the side of residents against those who choose to exploit, deceive and lie to suit their own narrow agendas.