The OR Tambo District Municipality is failing to provide the most basic services to its people, and highlights how the ANC instilled culture of lack of accountability is collapsing government services across the province. The primary objective of this district municipality should be to implement water and sanitation services projects, address backlogs and improve the life of its citizens. Instead it is robbing the people of their basic human rights …
Read More
The following speech was delivered by Vicky Knoetze, MPL in support of a motion tabled by DA EC Leader in the Legislature, Bobby Stevenson, in the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, on 23 July 2020. GLOBAL GOVERNANCE – A NEW APPROACH TO SERVICE DELIVERY The approach of delivering services to communities by government, namely that of co-operative governance is inadequate to provide the needs of all people. Over the last two …
Read More
More than a month after the Grahamstown High Court set aside the controversial and unlawful tender awarded to Quality Filtration Systems (QFS) for the Port Alfred Desalination Plant, and instructed QFS to repay the R20 million already illegally paid out, there is still no money in the municipality’s coffers. I will fight hard to roll back the frontiers of corruption in the Eastern Cape and ensure that residents can live …
Read More
The Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape has secured a place in the finals in two categories of the 2020 Eco-Logic Awards for its innovative Plastic Roads project in Jeffreys Bay, in the DA-run Kouga Municipality. The project has been shortlisted in the Innovation and Eco-Build award categories of the annual event, widely recognised as South Africa’s most glamorous green eco-calendar event, hosted by Enviropaedia. The Eco-Logic Awards, which has …
Read More
The true horror story of the collapse of local government in the Eastern Cape has been brought home by the latest Municipal Financial Sustainability Index (MFSI) report by Ratings Afrika. The report shows that the Amahlati municipality is one of the worst performing municipalities in the country. This report follows the Auditor Generals report last month, which showed that 13 Eastern Cape municipalities reports have worsened compared to the previous …
Read More
The Special Investigation Unit must be tasked with investigating the controversial and unlawful tender awarded to Quality Filtration Systems (QFS) for the Port Alfred Desalination Plant. The Grahamstown High Court has set aside the tender, saying that the conduct on the part of the Ndlambe Local Municipality was beset with problems and irregularities and ran afoul of proper procurement procedure requirements. I have now written to Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar …
Read More
The Eastern Cape is fighting for its survival, battling the deadly Covid-19 outbreak on the one hand, and the cancerous spread of corruption on the other. Not only is the province one of the epicentres for the Covid-19 outbreak, it is fast becoming the epicentre of Covid19 corruption. While government pleads for residents to wash their hands in the fight against the disease, it has now come to light that …
Read More
The Auditor General’s Report was especially damning for municipalities in the Eastern Cape – it showcases the deteriorating state of local government in the province – if you ever wondered what rock-bottom looks like – this is it! 83% of municipalities are facing significant cash-flow restraints. 38% of municipalities’ expenses exceed their revenue. 24 municipalities are unable to pay their creditors. Only 1 municipality received a clean audit. 15 municipalities …
Read More
Auditor-General (AG) Kimi Makwetu’s latest report on the Audit Outcomes for Local Government is the clearest message yet that Local Government in the Eastern Cape is collapsing. Not only have 13 municipalities reports worsened compared to the previous year, only one municipality in the entire province received a clean audit! These poor audit outcomes are as a result of the continuing looting of municipalities, corruption and maladministration, as well as …
Read More
Local Government in the Eastern Cape is collapsing More than 14 Municipalities are in distress and unable to pay creditors. ESKOM debt has spiralled out of control and is bringing municipalities to its knees. The illusive stimulus packages to assist with Covid19 is not forth-coming. Honourable Speaker, Honourable Premier, Honourable members and guests, good morning. The fact that this department is spending 93.8% of its budget on the cost of …
Read More