Matatiele: ANC cannot abuse Demarcation Board for its own purposes

The ANC is abusing the Demarcation Board as an instrument to move communities in an attempt to gain the maximum number of votes in an area, as is now the case with Matatiele, Dr. Pieter Groenewald says.

Dr. Groenewald said the main problem with Matatiele is that the ANC is frightened to incorporate the community into KwaZulu-Natal as they know they would be losing votes in the process. This, despite the fact that the majority of residents of Matatiele want to be incorporated into KwaZulu-Natal.

"In 2006 the ANC had no objections to incorporate Merafong into the Northwest province. When the people of that area did not vote for the ANC they were moved back to Gauteng. It is clear that the ANC is confronted with the same problem in Matatiele.

"The ANC must stop abusing the Demarcation Board for its own quirks. The Board is supposed to be an independent body, but the ANC is abusing it just as it is now aiming to do in Midvaal which he wants to make one huge metro.

"But actually, the underlying reason is to split the votes so that the ANC can obtain the majority everywhere to govern.

"The Demarcation Board is also being abused to merge smaller municipalities in a single metro under the pretext that a better service will then be rendered. They are busy with it everywhere, even in the Northwest.

"The truth is however that the ANC government does not have the capability to deliver good government and services. It cannot do it because they do not appoint people based on merit.

"Until incompetent cadres without qualifications are gotten rid of, good services will not be delivered," Dr. Groenewald said.

Statement issued by Dr. Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus chief spokesperson: Cooperative Governance, March 11 2015

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