Note to Broadcasters: Please find linked soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Soret Viljoen.
The DA in the Tswaing Local Municipality is concerned with the ANC-run administration’s failure to include all members of the public in an Integrated Development Planning (IDP) and Budget Meeting on 17 April 2024 by only inviting certain Councillors and residents to participate.
The meeting was set to discuss the tariff increases to be implemented on 1 July 2024. A day before the meeting, a suggested agenda was only sent to ANC Councillors on WhatsApp. No official invitation was sent to Councillors to invite all constituents to the meeting.
The DA can confirm that the intended rate increases have not been seen by Councillors during the Council Meeting on 27 March 2024. The Speaker, Cllr Sam Letlhakane, and suspended Municipal Manager, Deon Mere, promised to send the tariff increases to all Councillors. To date, nothing has been received.
It is clear that the ANC intends to once again abuse their majority to benefit themselves and their fellow cadres.
The DA has written to the Executive Mayor, Cllr Norah Mahlangu, the Acting Municipal Manager, Thabo Meerken, and Speaker Letlhakane to adjust the agenda for the IDP meeting and to send out official invitations to all Councillors, ratepayers, and businesses to ensure all community members are included in decisions that affect them.
The DA will not allow the ANC to abuse a public participation process that must seek to include all stakeholders for its own narrow gains.
Residents have an opportunity to kick out the ANC and vote in a DA government on 29 May this year as we are the only party with a proven track record of good governance.