Admin
10 May, 2018
Local Government Week Outcomes: address by Mr LB Gaehler, MP (NCOP) in the National Assembly
Honourable Chairperson and Members Notwithstanding the recent outbreak of listeriosis, in which at least 190 people have died, South Africa does not meet the world health standards for food inspectors. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), we have just one environmental health practitioner per 30, 000 people. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a ratio of one environmental health practitioner for every 10, 000 people. This means South Africa does not have enough people checking the health and safety standards for production. Municipalities, in particular those in rural and small towns are the hardest hit. They must be helped to be proactive, to pre-plan and meet the required standards of at least one environmental health practitioner for every 10, 000 people. The NICD must have more laboratories to deal with this crisis. Chairperson, the municipalities are the culprits with regard to the non-payment of service providers within the regulated 30 days as per the National Treasury Instruction note number 34. This is not only a defiance of government policy, but a brutal onslaught against the poor masses of our people who are trying their best to live a better life, through their own initiative. Chairperson, we suggest that the NCOP institute an urgent investigation of the extent of this crime against our people who are running small businesses. We must know, which municipality is in debt to our poor people and how much is owned. Once that is established, culprits must be reported to the relevant authority for a proper recourse, on behalf of the local hawkers, caterers, B&B owners and many others. Lastly, there are still municipalities and institutions who are hell bent on defying another government policy, that of buying local. Officials go to places like Butterworth yet they sleep and eat in East London, they procure food and other items more than 50kms outside the local area. WHY ARE THE POOR MASSES IN RURAL AREAS BEING ATTACKED LIKE THIS. This new dawn must arrive to the poor too. Municipalities must play the ball and BUY LOCAL. Thank you
Admin
18 Oct, 2017
#NMBCoalition – DA admitted mistakes were made, Bantu Holomisa writes to DA Leader Mmusi Maimane
Dear Mr Maimane NELSON MANDELA BAY COALITION: MISTAKES WERE MADE REGARDING THE MANNER IN WHICH THE SPEAKER OF COUNCIL CONDUCTED THE NMBMM COUNCIL MEETING OF 24 AUGUST 2017 1. I refer to matter of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality (NMBMM) Council meeting of 24 August 2017 at which a motion of no confidence was instituted by the Patriotic Alliance (PA), against our Deputy Executive Mayor, Cllr Mongameli Bobani. 2. The United Democratic Movement’s (UDM) lawyers have secured the closed-circuit television recording (available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzwt1-3KK09fRElhN0kzblVtT2s/view?usp=drive_web) of the aforementioned meeting from the Municipality. 3. I now wish to draw your attention to the meeting we had on 17 September 2017 when we talked about the state of the coalition. During our conversation, you conceded that the Democratic Alliance (DA) had made mistakes in dealing with the coalition partners and you had committed to set right such mistakes. 4. After having watched the recording today, I wonder if, when you referred to mistakes the DA had made, did you include the way the DA had handled the ousting of Cllr Bobani? 5. The UDM would like to understand how the Speaker of Council (as seen in the recording), in the very first instance only allowed one person of each political party to speak on the item and then ignored speaker, after speaker, who protested this decision. The DA professes to be proponents of democracy, but we fail to understand how, what happened on that fateful day, could be considered democracy. 6. When a councillor asked that the proposer of the motion, Cllr Marlon Daniels of the PA, explain what he meant by Cllr Bobani’s “erratic behaviour”, he never did. It appears as if this matter was just steamrolled through Council to suit a hidden agenda. We now know what that agenda had been, after we heard why the PA withdrew from your separate and bilateral “coalition agreement”. 7. Sir, do you consider the handling of the Council meeting as one of the mistakes the DA had made? Are you prepared to rectify this mistake by immediately reinstating Cllr Bobani as Deputy Executive Mayor? Yours truly Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP President of the United Democratic Movement Copied to: Rev Kenneth Meshoe, MPPresident, African Christian Democratic Party Mr Mosiuoa Lekota, MPPresident, Congress of the People Dr Pieter Groenewald, MPLeader, Freedom Front Plus
Admin
23 Jun, 2017
AG’s findings on local government audit remains cause for concern
Regarding the Auditor-general’s latest report on the local government audit, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) notes that there were only marginal improvements in local government audit results. We are however concerned that 14 municipalities lost their clean audit status, while only 9 cleaned up their acts. It simply means that good governance at local level, and effective municipal management, is moving in the wrong direction. It is heartening that the Auditor-general’s office, as a Chapter 9 institution, seems to be doing its job without fear or favour and does not shy away from fulfilling its Constitutional mandate. Statement issued by Mr Bongani Msomi – UDM Secretary General The UDM is on record regarding Government’s over-reliance on consultants and it is discouraging to hear that consultancy fees for financial reporting services increased to R838 million. The greatest worrying factors are that: 1) Municipalities spend more than they have, their current liabilities exceed current assets at year-end, debtors are not paying or delay payment, as well as late payment of creditors. 2) There has been no improvement on the perennial concerns of the Auditor-general about contracts awarded to employees, councillors, their families and other state officials. 3) Even though fruitless and wasteful expenditure is down 21%, irregular expenditure has increased by just over 50%, which the Auditor-general said was “the highest since we started tracking the values”. Given the yearly damning observations, the UDM doubts if councils and municipal administrations take the Auditor-general seriously. The Auditor-general is simply ignored and the powers-that-be go about their merry ways without caring about the implications of their looting of State coffers and failing management. There are no repercussions for failing municipal administrations, and the UDM believes it might be necessary to have an Auditor-general with teeth. The UDM also notes an interesting trend regarding fruitless, wasteful and irregular expenditure by the Government; in particular at local sphere. This trend is mostly expressed during a year of general elections (national, provincial and local) as well as in a year of the conferences of the African National Congress (ANC) and its Alliance Partners. This trend is manifested in this year’s report, with the year preceding being Municipal Elections. We will not be surprised to notice a spike in expenses when, this time next year, another report is issued after the conferences of the ANC and its Alliance partners. The UDM will consider investigating this trend to establish whether public monies are not being used to fund internal political party programmes. If this is the case, it will be proof of yet another thievery. It is easy to look at the figures presented by the Auditor-general as list of amounts, but one must never forget that there are billions of Rands involved each year, which should be spent on bettering the lives of South Africans and not lining the pockets of the few.
Admin
16 Mar, 2016
UDEMWO calls for swift intervention by government on WC women killings
Media Statement by Thandi Nontenja, UDEMWO Secretary General The United Democratic Movement Women’s Organisation (UDEMWO) is saddened and concerned by the growing numbers of women and children who have fallen victims of rape and murder in the Western Cape since the beginning of the year. What is more distressing is to know that these women and children are victims of crime in the hands of those close to them or someone they know. The time has come for the communities at large to come together and put an end to these horrendous crimes. We cannot continue living in fear as women in our very own space. It is time that men come to senses and do the role of protecting us. Abuse of women; children or anybody who is a victim must not be a norm. South Africans can win this battle if we come together. As for the Department for Women, the silence in relations to issues affecting women is too deafening. Why is Minister Suzan Shabangu not saying or condemning these crimes. How many women and children must fall victim before more could be done. The government must acknowledge that the country is in crisis and more needs to be done. The government must take the nation into confidence regarding a strategy to combat the killing of women in the Western Cape. The recent killing of Sizeka Batala from Mfuleni, Sinoxolo Mafevuka, Franziska Blöchliger, Shamonique Claasen from Paarl and all those who were not on the news has raised so much concern and government must make a swift intervention. End
Admin
28 Jan, 2016
KSD ready for 2016 Local Government Elections
Statement issued by UDM KSD Electoral Task Team The UDM in the KSD is ready for the 2016 Local Government Elections. Guided by our national manifesto, which was adopted and launched in our 5th National Congress held in December 2015; we are finalising our localised KSD version of the manifesto. In our local manifesto, we will focus on Good Governance. In this regard, the rule of law shall be a system on which proper local governance will be based and guard against the abuse of power and allow innovations and the economy to flourish. Corruption as one of the main contributors to unemployment, poverty, inequality and poor services and has characterised the KSD municipality. This must be ended. We shall focus on how to provide effective local governance, appropriate personnel employment, proper planning, proper utilisation of resources and performance management. We shall also focus on making KSD on the key economic growth areas in the province, so that it becomes one of the fastest growing economies in the Eastern Cape and South Africa. In this regard, our manifesto will spell-out our plans to: • Invest more on infrastructure development, improving and maintaining good main and access roads, ensure water and electricity infrastructure is improved and maintained. • Create opportunities for quality jobs. We will develop and implement programmes with high labour absorption and retention levels with skills transfer. • Preserve environment as a source of energy and better living condition. • Work with communities to take advantage of land for quality crop and stock farming. • Work together with Institutions of Traditional Leaders, in support of their historic and rightful role in local and rural development. • Work with all Civil Society Organisation, including but not limited, Religious Communities and the Communities at large to ensure wide and meaningful participation of all on matters of their daily lives. We shall work towards making KSD, once again a thriving municipality full of opportunities. In the next few weeks, in consultation with communities in general, we will be finalising our Ward and PR candidates’ lists. All of this work shall be completed before the 5th of March 2016. This will enable us to mobilise all eligible voters, to go out and register on the first open registration weekend. We will be in contact with voters on daily bases, visiting them in their homes and all other places where they are, to persuade them to vote for UDM and mandate it to govern together with them. We call on all our members, supporters and the people of KSD Municipality to double their efforts in ensuring they take it to themselves, to bring better governance of their municipality. We are certain that if we take bold steps, we can save this municipality from collapsing. Once again, we are not only ready to campaign but to govern this municipality with the people for the people. End
