The DA Difference
Some people say that DA municipalities have an unfair advantage, as if (somehow) our municipalities don’t face the same challenges as others in our developing country. When they say this, I tell them the story of a small Gauteng municipality called Nokeng Tsa Taemane near the Limpopo border.
When the DA took it over from the ANC in 2001, it had just about collapsed. Eskom was about to cut off the power because of an R11 million unpaid electricity bill. There was not much furniture, no computers and no filing system in the tiny municipal offices. Officials were disillusioned and demotivated. There was no town engineer at all. The Municipal Manager was the previous Mayor’s brother-in-law.
The new DA team went to work, building the systems and physical infrastructure necessary for a workable administration. Garages were converted into office space; computers and administrative systems were installed. The new Mayor furnished his office with his own furniture brought from his home.
The DA Mayor and Speaker had no other staff besides the one secretary they shared. They sold the mayoral Mercedes Benz and used the money for service delivery. The Mayor drove around in his own Nissan bakkie instead.
Through good financial management, the DA managed to stop Eskom from switching off the lights, paying back R9m of what it owed. And it managed to upgrade the infrastructure that had been left to decay under the previous administration. A new sewerage works was built, the Refilwe community hall was refurbished and the water and electricity infrastructure was overhauled and expanded. Around 2,000 RDP houses were built in three years.
And then, because (until now) elections have not been about service delivery, the DA lost the 2006 local election to the ANC.
The new ANC Mayor started her term by refurbishing her office at a cost of R135 000 to the ratepayer. Two luxury German vehicles were purchased – one for the Mayor and one for the Speaker. The Mayor increased her expense account from R50 000 to R500 000 and appointed 12 new staff members to work in her office. When the Mayor had to fly anywhere, she flew business class and stayed in expensive hotels.
It wasn’t long before the municipality went bankrupt again, needing to be bailed out by the Gauteng provincial government at least three times. In four years, only 78 houses were built. Infrastructure was neglected. During one month the municipality didn’t send out bills because it didn’t have enough money for the postage.
By 2009 things were so bad that Nokeng was placed under administration by the provin-cial government. In fact, it is now such a basket case that, after the local election this year, the municipality will cease to exist and will be absorbed into the Tshwane metro. Nokeng Tsa Taemane was literally run into the ground by the ANC. This was the direct result of the choice that voters made in the 2006 election.
The Choice at this Election
When I visit towns where service delivery is failing, people often say to me: Helen, please come here and fix things up. I reply that the DA can only do that if we win an election here. And we can only win an election here if enough people vote for us. I cannot take control of your future. Only you can do that.
Because the truth is this: if you want a better life you need to think about choosing a party that has proved it delivers for all wherever it governs.
We can do the same for you, if you give us the opportunity to apply our formula where you live. So give us a chance to prove it. Put us to the test. You have nothing to lose by trying something new.
If you usually vote for the ANC in the national election, this election is your chance to do something different. These are not national elections, they are local elections. They give you more freedom to choose.
This election is about breaking free of the straightjacket that keeps people voting for the same party over and over again and somehow expecting a different result.
In a democracy, you can make the change and choose a party that will deliver a better fu-ture.
So let’s stop comparing the South Africa of today with the South Africa of the past. And let’s start comparing the South Africa of today with the South Africa we know we can be-come tomorrow.
One nation with one shared future. Isizwe esinye, ikamva elinye, een nasie een toekoms, sechaba sele seng, bokamoso bole bong.
If you live in a DA-governed municipality, you already know the difference the DA can make.
If you don’t live in a DA-governed municipality, now is your chance to make it happen. Now is the time to experience the DA difference for yourself.
So, whatever you do, make sure you vote on 18 May.
And vote DA.
Because the DA delivers for all!
Sincerely,
Helen Zille
