GOOD Speech delivered during the George Municipality Council Meeting by Rosa Louw, GOOD George Municipality Councillor:
Honourable Speaker, colleagues, residents of George, we are asked today to adopt the final review of the 5th Generation Integrated Development Plan and the final Municipal Spatial Development Framework. On paper, these are important documents. In practice, they read like another missed opportunity to be honest with the people of George about where we are and where we are going.
First, the IDP review is reactive, not strategic.
It lists projects and budgets, but it fails to confront the core problem: service delivery is collapsing while demand grows. Water outages in Blanco, sewage spills in Thembalethu, roads deteriorating across every ward. The document talks about “resilient infrastructure” and “inclusive growth,” but it does not show how we will fix what is broken now. A plan that does not prioritise maintenance over new projects is not a plan. It is a wishlist.
Second, the MSDF does not match the reality on the ground.
The framework talks about densification and economic nodes, but it ignores the infrastructure capacity to support it. We cannot approve higher densities in Pacaltsdorp and Conville while the sewer network is already overloaded. We cannot zone for industrial growth along the N2 if Eskom and the municipality cannot guarantee power. Good planning requires sequencing: fix the bulk infrastructure first, then unlock development. This document reverses that order.
Third, public participation was compliance-driven, not genuine.
Residents were invited to comment, but the draft did not change in response to the concerns raised. If participation does not shape the outcome, it is consultation theatre. People in George are tired of being told their input was “noted.”
Finally, there is no accountability mechanism.
The IDP sets targets, but there are no consequences when departments miss them year after year. Without quarterly public reporting on service delivery indicators, this document becomes another shelf document.
The GOOD Party cannot support adopting these documents as final.
We propose they be referred for two changes:
- Re-prioritise the budget to maintenance and bulk infrastructure repair for the next 24 months.
- Align the MSDF with realistic infrastructure capacity, with clear timelines for upgrades.
George deserves a plan that is honest, sequenced, and enforceable. Not another glossy document that ignores the cracks in our pipes and roads.
I thank you.
GOOD Manifesto on Inclusivity: The party aims to be inclusive, representing all demographics regardless of race or gender.
Midnight Bat
Fun South African Fact: Vilakazi Street in Soweto has been home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners. A tour through Soweto will always stop at Vilakazi Street to reveal a number of heritage sites of great importance to democratic South Africa. Both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu lived here at some point in their lives. In 1984, Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition for his non-violent fight against the apartheid regime. Nine years later in 1993, Nelson Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize with then-president F.W. de Klerk as an award for their role in bringing about the peaceful end of apartheid. Nelson Mandela then went on to become South Africa’s first democratically elected president in 1994.
Low Voltage
Sarmie – sandwich [saam-ie] A slang word for sandwich.