South Africa Can be Saved

Dear Editor

Amidst the chaos and economic sabotage brought about by the ruinous ANC government, the Auditor General (A-G), Tsakani Maluleke, has once again reaffirmed the undeniable truth that the DA runs the best municipalities in the country.

The positive performance report on DA governments from the 2021/2022 municipal audit outcomes, presented today in Parliament, comes a week after a similar verdict from the 2022 Municipal Financial Sustainability Index (MFSI) by Ratings Afrika. The Index listed DA-run Midvaal and Saldanha Bay as the best-run municipalities in the country, with Cape Town standing emerging as the only financially viable metro in South Africa.

South Africans can now say with confidence that the DA is the only party with a solid track record in government to save South Africa in 2024 and bring the country back from the brink of becoming a failed state. Of the 38 clean audit outcomes reported by the A-G, 23 were from DA-run municipalities. Most importantly, the City of Ekurhuleni obtained a clean audit due to the work of the DA coalition before it was removed by the ANC/EFF coalition of corruption. The sad reality is that, Ekurhuleni will in all probability regress because the cadres have their hands at the till again.

The Western Cape has once again outperformed the rest of the country, with 21 DA municipalities receiving clean audits which is more than the rest of the clean audits in the country combined. In Gauteng, the DA-run Midvaal municipality continues to be a leader on good governance outcomes as the municipality bagged another clean audit, repaying the confidence that residents have in DA-led administration.

Despite spending a combined R1,6 billion on consultants, ANC municipalities have not only regressed in terms of their overall financial health, but 70 of them were also flagged by the A-G as facing significant risks to continue functioning as going concerns. This after R5 billion was flagged for fruitless and wasteful expenditure and another R5 billion was the estimated loss from non-compliance and fraud. The A-G’s verdict on failing municipalities is ominous – these municipalities are financially distressed to the extent that they will continue to struggle to deliver services, responsibly use & account for taxpayers’ money.

While good governance continues to be the hallmark of DA governments, we are equally concerned about the welfare of South Africans who live in badly run ANC municipalities, some of which are on the verge of collapse. It is for this reason that last week, I wrote to Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thembi Nkadimeng, and the acting head of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), Mthobeli Kolisa, requesting that they convene a “Best Practice Summit on Municipal Governance”. DA-run governments that have been cited for good governance will then use this platform to share best practices and key lessons on how to improve governance outcomes in failing ANC municipalities.

Both Minister Nkadimeng and Mr Kolisa have acknowledged receipt of my correspondence and I hope they will act in the best interests of the country to convene this summit as a matter of urgency. The DA is the only party with the governance experience and national footprint to save South Africa from the ANC wrecking ball that has collapsed municipalities across the country.

Regards

Eleanore Bouw-Spies MP
DA Shadow Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA)