The FF Plus has asked the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Lebogang Maile, to intervene at Randfontein and help find a solution to the town's problems, which include inaccessible roads and sewage bubbling up out of manholes.
The FF Plus paid an oversight visit to the town after the party was inundated with complaints by residents who are concerned about the dangerous potholes, vehicles sustaining damaged due to the road's surface crumbling away and sewage flowing through various premises.
The Rand West Local Municipality's (Randfontein and Westonaria) dire financial position and rapid deterioration is nothing new for the MEC. The party has requested Maile on various occasions to address the maladministration at the Municipality and to draw up a plan of action to save the Municipality from total bankruptcy.
Two years ago, the FF Plus also paid an oversight visit to the area in response to complaints received from the community and at that time, the party already brought the Municipality's problems to the attention of the Legislature's COGTA committee.
It is alarming that a large number of the problems that were pointed out to the Municipality and COGTA have still not been addressed. And in the meantime, the situation has worsened.
In Aloe Avenue, Greenhills, sewage has been flowing out of a manhole for more than a year, it runs through residents' properties before finally ending up in nearby marshlands.
The Gauteng Legislature can no longer remain apathetic and must take action against local governments and officials that fail to do their duty to maintain infrastructure and, thus, jeopardise the health and safety of residents.
The incompetence, maladministration and corruption in municipalities can no longer be tolerated and the local government elections, due to take place later this year, will offer voters the opportunity to get rid of the incompetent ANC in municipalities and replace it with an accountable municipal government.
In addition, the FF Plus advocates for a decentralised local government and the devolution of power to as close to the level of the community as possible by means of sub-councils and smaller municipalities, which will ensure that residents' tax money is used in the areas where they live to provide proper service delivery and maintenance of infrastructure.
Contact details: 071 604 9498
;
