In their response to the “State of the Municipality” speech by the GMM Mayor, Cllr Aranda Nel-Buitendag, (FF Plus) said that the ANC has destroyed the once prosperous towns in the Govan Mbeki Municipality.
“We are convinced that this is just aimed at canvassing,” said Aranda, “the elections are approaching fast.”
The FF+ released the following statement (Afrikaans will be at the bottom of this article)
The municipal speech by the Mayor of the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality (GMM), Nhlakanipho Zuma, was solely aimed at canvassing votes for the ANC in the upcoming local government elections and made no mention of the pressing financial problems and the general decline of the Municipality.
The service delivery of GMM, which serves the towns of Bethal, Charl Cilliers, Embalenhle, Evander, Kinross, Leandra, Secunda and Trichardt, either falls far short or is non-existent.
Zuma, however, decided to focus on the expropriation of land without compensation for housing projects in his speech, but he failed to mention where the funds needed to provide these housing projects with the necessary water and sanitation infrastructure will come from.
The Municipality already has an outstanding utility account amounting to R2 billion due to non-payment by the community and businesses, thus, the Municipality simply does not have the funds to provide basic services to new housing projects.
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The threat that he is going to expropriate land in Kinross without compensation to build a school and that he will make history with land grabs is dangerous and will only deter prospective investors in the local economy.
Zuma also referred to GMM’s so-called economic growth and he thanked former ANC mayors for their hard work. This is ironic in light of the decline of GMM and the financial predicament in which it finds itself since the ANC took control over the Municipality.
A town like Bethal, for instance, is constantly plagued by power outages and water problems due to the Municipality’s non-payment to Eskom and Rand Water. No mention was made of how the outstanding debt of R2,7 billion with the two bulk service providers will be settled.
The ANC has destroyed the once prosperous towns in the Govan Mbeki Municipality. Voters have the opportunity to stand up against this in the upcoming local government elections. Stand with the FF Plus and send a loud and clear message that this will no longer be tolerated. The decline must be brought to an end.
Afrikaans
Die munisipale rede van die burgemeester van die Govan Mbeki-plaaslike munisipaliteit (GMM), Nhlakanipho Zuma, is net gemik op opportunistiese stemwerwing vir die ANC met die komende plaaslike regeringsverkiesing en fokus glad nie op die wesenlike finansiële probleme en verval van die munisipaliteit nie.
GMM, wat die dorpe Bethal, Charl Cilliers, Embalenhle, Evander, Kinross, Leandra, Secunda, Trichardt bedien, se dienslewering bestaan nie of skiet ver te kort.
Zuma het egter verkies om in sy toespraak te fokus op die onteiening van grond sonder vergoeding vir behuisingsprojekte sonder om te meld waar die fondse vandaan gaan kom om die behuisingsprojekte van die nodige water- en sanitasie-infrastruktuur te voorsien.
Die munisipaliteit het reeds ‘n agterstallige diensterekening van R2 miljard weens die wanbetaling van die gemeenskap en sakeondernemings en die munisipaliteit beskik nie oor die fondse om die dienste met nuwe behuisingsprojekte te verskaf nie.
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Die dreigement dat hy in Kinross privaateiendom sonder vergoeding gaan vat om ‘n skool te bou en geskiedenis te maak deur grondgrype, is gevaarlik en sal broodnodige potensiële beleggers in die plaaslike ekonomie afskrik.
Zuma het ook verwys na die sogenaamde ekonomiese groei van GMM en vorige ANC-burgemeesters vir hul harde werk bedank. Dis belaglik gesien in die lig van die verval van GMM en die finansiële verknorsing waarin die munisipaliteit verkeer sedert die ANC in beheer is.
‘n Dorp soos Bethal word geteister deur kragonderbrekings en waterprobleme weens die munisipaliteit se wanbetaling van Eskom en Randwater. Geen melding is gemaak hoe die agterstallige R2,7 miljard aan die twee grootmaatverskaffers vereffen gaan word nie.
Die ANC het die eens vooruitstrewende dorpe in die Govan Mbeki-munisipaliteit vernietig. Met die komende plaaslike regeringsverkiesing kan inwoners hierteen opstaan en saam met die VF Plus staan om ‘n sterk boodskap te stuur dat die nie langer geduld sal word nie. Die verval kan gestop word.
