Final blow dealt to good governance in Tshwane

Today, 26 September 2024, will go down in history as a day that an outright backstabber sunk a functional government, and in doing so traded stability for chaos.

ActionSA has disrupted the course of progress and unity that the Tshwane Multiparty Coalition government worked tirelessly to build. ActionSA's backstabbing played right into the hands of the ANC's power hunger. The ANC has no interest in good governance in Tshwane but wants to pillage and steal from a stabilised government. This will no doubt destabilise Tshwane and ActionSA is duly complicit in this power grab.

The doomsday coalition has now taken over Tshwane and it will go the same road as Joburg and Ekurhuleni. A future of urban decay and service delivery failure lies ahead for the good citizens of Tshwane. Once parties get a scent of what they perceive to be power, evidently, they sacrifice constitutional principles for the fulfilment of misplaced personal vendettas.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has, and always will be a party that puts residents needs first, today a government that did exactly that has been ousted. Good and responsible governance has been sacrificed for a matrimony that will undoubtedly leave the people of Tshwane worse off than ever before.

Under the guise of change, ActionSA has broken a coalition that was created to collaborate with integrity, and shared the goal of building a Capital City that works for all of its people. The trust and aspirations of every citizen who believed that Tshwane could in fact work, has been broken. Make no mistake, what unfolded in the council chambers today will only stunt the economic and societal advancements we've worked so hard to bring about. Trust in Tshwane's institutions, especially financial institutions, has been destroyed today.

The DA will keep a close watch on the following:

• Any attempt to reverse disciplinary action against the five senior officials implicated in the irregular Rooiwal tender;
• Any attempt to remove professional, non-political senior managers to clear the way for fraud, corruption, and interference with tenders;
• Any attempt to direct officials to award tenders to companies associated with the ANC and EFF.

  The people of Tshwane deserve better than the instability made possible by ego-driven individuals who, in betraying them, has also betrayed South Africa.

  The DA caucus will proudly take up our seats as the official opposition in the City of Tshwane. In the face of adversity and instability we will hold a broken executive to account. We have, and always will be, unforgiving in our oversight roles - the DA will continue to protect the people of Tshwane. Under any and all conditions.