ANC refuses to be accountable to NW communities

24 May 2017

The DA will write to the Speaker of the North West Provincial Legislature, Susan Danje, to raise concern over her constant refusal to consider debates proposed by the DA on poor service delivery in the Province.

During a sitting yesterday, the Speaker refused to consider a request by the DA to debate the devastating consequences of poor service delivery in the Northwest, especially among VTSDs (Villages, Townships and small dorpies). When we challenged Danje and requested that she considers her ruling on this issue of public interest, she put the matter to a vote and the ANC majority shot it down.

The ANC’s bias tendency to use its majority to refuse debating of its glaring failures in government, is both a betrayal and insult to the underserved communities of the Northwest.

The Province is constantly experiencing service delivery protests due to the ANC’s inability to deliver adequate services to residents. We believe a motion for debate on service delivery is an urgent matter of public interest. The ANC is refusing to respect the public’s right to know why they are receiving shoddy municipal services.

It is clear that the ANC is out of touch with the needs of communities and will choose to hide behind parliamentary processes in order to shy away from accountability.

Poor service delivery is an ongoing challenge that negatively impacts the economic and social wellbeing of communities - especially the poor.

As public representatives, we have an obligation to keep the executive accountable. To have debates of this nature dismissed, is a slap in the face of our democracy.

The ANC simply does not care about the thousands of people without houses, toilets, water and electricity. Worse, it is not concerned about the unsustainable unemployment rate in the Province at all.

Their head-in-the-sand approach will not work for much longer, as communities are ready for change – a change only a DA government can bring.

Issued by Jacqueline Theologo, DA Whip, North West Legislature, 24 May 2017