Western Cape provides best delivery to the poor

Monday 1 September

A municipal service delivery report released by STATS SA last week, places the Western Cape at the top in most categories (see here - PDF).

According to the "Non-financial census of municipalities for the year ended 30 June 2013", the Western Cape showed the highest proportion of consumer units that benefited from the free basic water policy (77.3%), free basic electricity policy (44.3%), free basic sewerage and sanitation (69,4%) as well as solid waste management and free basic solid waste management services (45.3%).

In each of these categories, the Western Cape achieved more than 10 percentage points more than the province that is next in line.

These statistics fly in the face of the ANC's accusation that the DA does not care for the poor. These statistics unequivocally prove that the DA-led Western Cape municipalities are doing much better in caring for the poor that any ANC-governed municipality in the rest of the country.

The DA believes that corruption and mismanagement destroy jobs and economic growth, that it kills investment and makes poor people poorer. This is especially evident in provinces like Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng that rank right at the bottom in all of these categories.

Despite the Western Cape being the province that provides the best service delivery to the poor, our biggest priority is and will remain poverty and unemployment. Everything we do in the Western Cape goes to service a growing economy. 76% of the Western Cape government's budget is spent on poor communities.

The DA believes that every citizen of the Western Cape should have the freedom to improve their lives and break the cycle of poverty.

This can only be achieved through real and tangible initiatives and not through political grandstanding and empty promises.

Statement issued by Dr. Ivan Meyer, DA Western Cape Leader, September 1 2014

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