Pretoria - Opposition parties in Tshwane have rejected the new Tshwane executive announced by mayor Randall Williams yesterday, describing it as “too white”.
Williams named a multiparty city cabinet including four councillors from his party, the DA, three from ActionSA and two from FF Plus (2), with a vacancy in Environment and Agriculture.
The appointed executives are Alderman Peter Sutton (DA) as Finance MMC and Leader of Executive Business, Abel Tau of Action SA (Human Settlements), Alderman Grandi Theunissen of FF Plus (Community Safety), Dikeledi Selowa (DA) in Roads and Transport, Andre le Roux of ActionSA (Economic Development and Spatial Planning) and Rina Marx of FF Plus in Health.
Peggy de Bruin (Action SA) is the MMC for Social Development and Community Services, while the Corporate and Shared Services is headed by Kingsley Wakelin of the DA and Utility Services under Phillip Nel (DA).
However, EFF regional leader Obakeng Ramabodu and his ANC counterpart Dr Kgosi Maepa said the new executive was not representative of the majority of the Tshwane population, which they said was black and disadvantaged.
Ramabodu said: "Firstly, this list confirms that we as the EFF are not in partnership with the DA, despite us voting with them across the country to unseat the ANC.
"Secondly, we reject the mayoral committee. It is an old white cabal of people who just want to be in power. They will not serve the interests of the majority of our people, but the affluent areas.
"We also wish to warn our people of this ActionSA because it is a project that is not different from the DA. It seeks to protect the interests of white monopoly capital. We, as the EFF, only helped the DA to unseat the ANC because the black and progressive parties are not big enough. We had no choice,“ Ramabodu said.
Ramabodu also claimed the reason that there was a vacancy in the Department of Environment and Agriculture was because there were plans to give the position of the speaker to a COPE councillor and move incumbent Katlego Mathebe to that portfolio.
The ANC’s Maepa agreed that the MMCs appointed represented regression because there was an underwhelming representation of black people on the executive.
"We are not really surprised although this is taking us 10 steps back as a city that is 75% black. We will see, but we do not know that the FF Plus councillors will serve the interest of the black majority.
"We will give them a chance and see. We do not know the backgrounds and experiences of these MMCs, but we will see. We know that council is different, you have to learn the ropes. We hope to see this administration solve the Hammanskraal water crisis," said Maepa.
Williams, in announcing his MMCs, said: "No man is an island." He emphasised the importance of establishing a team that would work together to advance the interests of the people.
"I am pleased to have a team of individuals that are fit and ready to serve the people of Tshwane. This team has been chosen after careful consideration as we take these appointments very seriously.
"We will need to hit the ground running as there is much work to be done. Furthermore, I would like to assure our residents that I will hold the team to the highest standards. This administration is truly committed to the principles of clean governance and ensuring quality service delivery," said Williams.
Tau, MMC and acting mayor in the previous term, said he was excited to be appointed in the Human Settlement Department, and his aim was to focus on the work that needed to be done.
"You will recall that the City has failed dismally in making sure that the amount of informal settlements goes down, and that is one of the priorities that needs attention.
“The Mamelodi flood victims are still in the same place they were at two years ago. That needs to be something that we deal with as a matter of urgency," said Tau.
Pretoria News