DA Forms Coalition with ANC by Passing Budget and Keeping Makhubo in Office

8 July 2020

I have been reliably informed that the DA Caucus in Johannesburg has resolved to support the ANC and pass the City’s budget at a new Council meeting tomorrow, reversing the gains made under the previous government.

This is the same DA that voted for the ANC’s Geoff Makhubo and provided him with the votes that ultimately elected him as Mayor of Johannesburg, despite it being common knowledge that he allegedly earned R30 million by acting as an influence broker for Gupta-linked Regiments Capital in the City of Johannesburg.

DA Councillors have been involved in budget discussions with City Officials, apparently at the behest of Mayor Geoff Makhubo, to negotiate for the support of the DA to approve the budget. This is in spite of recent remarks by DA Federal Council Chairperson, Helen Zille, which said: “Anyone who does anything to perpetuate ANC governance is complicit in serious crime. It is a verifiable fact.”

The DA’s support for this budget is a betrayal to the residents of Johannesburg, a self-serving decision made to prevent the loss of Councillors jobs should Council be dissolved. Passing this budget ensures the collapse of service delivery infrastructure in Johannesburg. Moreover, it keeps an ANC in office that is severely implicated in state capture, corruption and other forms of wrong doing – ensuring the continued abuse of public funds. It also speaks to the DA’s commitment to end the coalition arrangements by working with the ANC.

In analysing the last circulated version of budget, it’s clear that the ANC and DA have formed a Coalition of Mediocrity, putting political interests ahead of our residents, and will subject Johannesburg residents to a massive disinvestment in infrastructure relating to key service delivery.

City Power capital budget reduced from R1,021 billion to R738 million

Department of Transport capital budget reduced from R1 billion to R683 million

Electrification of Informal Settlements – reduced from R250 million to R98 million

Installation of new public lighting – reduced from R50 million to R30 million

Site and Services - Formalisation of informal settlements across the City – reduced from R300 million over 2 years to R15 million over 3 years

Road Rehabilitation & Reconstruction – reduced from R300 million over 2 years to R113 million over 3 years

Resurfacing of Roads Renewal Roads – reduced from R300 million over 2 years to R139 million over the same period

Johannesburg Central: Planned Replacement: Sewermains – reduced from R180 million over 2 years to R10 million. This item has also been reduced to zero in the outer years.

Johannesburg Central: Planned Replacement: Watermains – reduced from R80 million over 2 years to R10 million. This item has also been reduced to zero in the outer years.

Midrand: Planned Replacement: Watermains. – reduced from R70 million over 2 years to R5 million.

Roodepoort/Diepsloot: Planned Replacement: Watermains – reduced from R90 million over 2 years to R5 million.

Sandton/Alexandra: Planned Replacement: Watermains – reduced from R100 million over 2 years to R20 million

Diepkloof Hostel Renewal – reduced from R40 million to R16 million in 2020/21.

Inner City Upgrading (Transitional/Emergency and Rental Stock) – reduced from R100 million over 2 years to R78 million

High-Risk Transformer replacement program – reduced from R125 million over 2 years to R55 million over the same period

Re-cabling of Traffic Signals – reduced from R80 million over 2 years to R40 million.

The budget proposes cuts that will impact the electricity, road, water and sewer networks. The near zeroing-out of the site and service project will prevent the large-scale housing relief to those living in informal settlements.

Johannesburg residents can now expect more electricity outages at a time when businesses are suffering, more water losses, deterioration of our roads and less housing for those desperately in need. The next 12 months are going to be a period of regression, and suffering for the people and businesses of Johannesburg.

The DA is so desperate to walk away from governance, following its Federal Council Review, it has thrown their support behind corrupt figures in government in Johannesburg. This reaffirms my views that the DA is no longer a vehicle seeking to unseat the ANC and deliver change, but has now become a lapdog, protecting the ongoing looting of Johannesburg.

The DA will have to account for every avoidable pothole, every power outage, every burst water pipe, every informal settlement that won’t be electrified and every housing stand that won’t be delivered and every cent stolen in 2021 to an electorate that does not recognise it any more.

Issued by Herman Mashaba, Founder, The People’s Dialogue, 8 July 2020