[WATCH] DA: Makhura has failed the people of Gauteng
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng says Premier David Makhura has failed the province’s residents by not removing MEC’s and mayors who have been implicated in wrongdoing or incompetence.
Tshwane Mayor and DA Gauteng premier candidate Solly Msimanga briefed the media on Monday .
“Similarly under his watch, he has lacked the conviction to act against the mayors and officials that have run the municipalities of Emfuleni, Merafong and the West Rand District into the ground. These municipalities are testament of a failing ANC government, and instead of taking action, the premier shields those who have meted out cruelty to our people,” said Msimanga.
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He said Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa is a good example, with the party giving her 1/10 in their provincial cabinet scorecard.
“There was lots of warnings at the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital that the CEO should be removed, that the conditions were unsanitary, the deaths of these babies are on the MEC’s head. Nine babies also died at the Rahima Moosa mother and baby hospital which could have been prevented. The fire which happened at her own office where three firefighters died, we called for her to be fired or resign, hence we have scored her so low,” said the DA’s spokesperson on health Jack Bloom.
Out of all 10 MEC’s, only Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi scored high, with a score of 7.5/10.
“He has taken an initiative to rally the private sector to partner with the department to invest more. You have schools dealing with nuclear, agriculture, airways and motor production which are the skills we need. You also have the online admission program which has saved a lot of time for parents, in the past parents had to sleep out just to get an admission,” said the DA’s Khume Ramulifho, who speaks on education.
Msimanga said Makhura can do more to influence the scrapping of e-tolls in the province.
The ANC has reacted by accusing the DA of ignored the recent Quality of Life Survey, where the Gauteng government scored 45% for the first time since 2011.
"There is evidence from the Quality of Life Survey (QoL); that the performance rating of the Provincial Government by Gauteng residents has steadily been improving since 2015 /16. The survey reveals that satisfaction with the government is at its highest level of 45% since 2011. The QoL indicates that more people are satisfied with the quality of life as a result of services rendered by the ANC led Gauteng provincial government. It is a fact that in the area of clean governance, Gauteng has made huge strides over the past four years. The number of clean audits from has increased from 56% in 2013/14 to 65% in 2017/18, while achieving 100% unqualified audits in two successive years - 2016/17 and 2017/18, where the province emerged as the only one to achieve 100% unqualified clean audits,” said ANC spokesperson Tasneem Motara.
Motara says since 2014, the provincial government has attracted R66 billion in foreign direct investments and created at least 14 000 jobs.