ActionSA’s Tshwane mayoral candidate Abel Tau says he is the man that can turn the situation around for the better in the capital city.
In the 2016 local government elections, the City of Tshwane, one of the most contested metros in Gauteng, fell under the power of DA in coalition with the EFF.
The metro is once again up for grabs.
There are many problems facing the city, including dirty water, water shortage, poor road infrastructure, among others.
One of the talk radio stations hosted mayoral candidates to outline their plans to the residents of Tshwane.
ActionSA, a new kid on the block, this week revealed that it’s gunning for the metros of Ekurhuleni, Joburg, eThekwini and Tshwane.
Tau, a former utility services MMC under the DA, said as ActionSA they want to fix the country and they need to start with the capital city.
“We bring to the table a lot of experience, with ActionSA leader in the City of Joburg, Letlhogonolo Moseki, in the City of eThekwini we have Dr Makhosi Khoza, so we boast a pedigree of leadership has been tried and tested including myself I boast a track record of having made things happen in the City of Tshwane.
“I always highlight the fact that only successful periods at the city have been seen at the periods February 2019 to January and February 2020,” Tau said.
He said that when he left the city had R4.28 billion on its cash reserve.
“I had introduced a programme called ‘follow the money’. The city enjoyed one of it’s best spells of the time. The issue of water in Hammanskraal first got attention under my leadership as the MMC as well as when I was acting as mayor and every piece of success that the current government tries to bring fourth is success that was reached under my leadership.
“Yes the finances are in a crisis and you are looking at the man and party that can turn the situation around.”
The @CityTshwane billing crisis is out of control now. It’s a mess of epic proportions. pic.twitter.com/4FVb2qihAk
— Abel Tau (@AbelTau1) September 8, 2021
Tau said Tshwane is currently the “squatter-capital” in the world.
“Unfortunately because of the situation of the coalition arrangement between the DA and the EFF, there was a time where the EFF was saying to the people ’take any piece of land that you see fit to reside in’ and unfortunately when we had floods in December 2019 to this day, the city could not resettle the flood victims because they are no pieces of land that are unoccupied.
“Our people find themselves in dangerous areas, parks are mess, the city is dark, this is a crime capital, I can go on,” he said.
Tau in his first 100 days as mayor, he would in-source securities to give a better quality for the people, employ artisans and people that are going to do prioritise service delivery.
“That is going to be a big priority for us. We are also going to take back buildings that were hijacked in areas such as Sunnyside in Pretoria West.
“Unapologetically, we need to bring our people closer to work opportunities and therefore break the spatial planning of of the old apartheid regime and that will ensure that the city’s economy is given a boost.”
This will be Good’s first time contesting in the local government elections, and its Tshwane mayoral candidate Sarah Mabotsa said the city is a mess.
“There are issues of the Auditor-General, who reported that there is R2.9 billion that was lost through irregular expenditure just in the last financial year. This is our money and it should be spent in fixing street-lights, traffic-lights, roads, providing electricity and secure supply of water,” said Mabotsa.
She said there are a lot of issues that still need to be resolved.
“The city is appointing people with no relevant qualifications and the AG has been pointing out that finding year on year that the municipality must start appointing people with qualifications so that they can be able to understand what is going on in government and be able to provide a good service.”
Political Bureau