They Caved

Statement by Solly Msimanga MPL – DA Gauteng Leader:

The Democratic Alliance has consistently opposed previous versions of the Ekurhuleni budget because they failed the test of affordability, accountability and service delivery.

We voted against those budgets.

However, the reality facing Ekurhuleni today is extraordinary.

Three failed budget votes have created a dangerous situation where the City faces the prospect of provincial intervention and administration. In Gauteng, that intervention would ultimately place enormous power over Ekurhuleni in the hands of an EFF MEC.

The DA will never stand by and allow the EFF to seize control of South Africa’s fourth largest metro and drive it further into decline.

Instead, we chose a different path.

We used our leverage to force the ANC to do things it did not want to do.

And they caved.

The ANC has now formally agreed to major DA demands that place residents ahead of politicians and infrastructure ahead of vanity projects.

These victories include:

• Reducing property rates increases to just 1.5% – among the lowest in South Africa.
• Ring-fencing infrastructure spending so money cannot simply be diverted away from roads, electricity, water and sanitation.
• Establishing an Electricity Protection Unit to combat illegal connections and electricity theft.
• Publishing monthly service delivery dashboards so residents can measure performance.
• Freezing luxury spending and focusing expenditure on essential services.
• ⁠Strengthening consequence management and improving oversight of finances and governance.

This is not an ANC victory.

This is the ANC accepting DA policies because they had no alternative.

The DA has demonstrated that even from opposition benches we can force better governance and protect residents from reckless political gamesmanship. In the process, we have secured meaningful reforms.

We have used or voting strength to keep the EFF out of Ekurhuleni. We have done so only in return for reforms, unlike other parties that extract positions or patronage.

The choice before us was simple:

Allow the EFF to inherit the City through administration, or force reforms that protect residents.

We chose residents.

And we will hold the ANC accountable for every single commitment they have now made to the people of Ekurhuleni.