EFF members in Buffalo City braved the wet weather and marched from Duncan Village to City Hall on Wednesday morning to protest against corruption, irregular billing and to demand housing.
EFF spokesperson Amanda Mavuso said the issues had been raised by residents numerous times, but they hade not been getting answers from BCM.
“We are here to raise and present the memorandum of demands to Princess Faku. Our demands are informed by the inefficient and deep-rooted corrupt conduct happening in the administration of this municipality,” Mavuso said.
“Corruption in the BCMM is at the highest and unprecedented levels.
“There is no accountability from the senior management and the supply chain officials within the municipality and the council itself, including the mayor and city manager.”
She said the municipality was plagued with a high level of irregular expenditure with no consequence management.
“Under the ANC, there is not quite much we can expect positively, but we are showing them that we are here and we are demanding what is rightfully for the people.”
The party’s memorandum said the ANC-led municipal public accounts committee and disciplinary board responsible for investigating irregular expenditure within the municipality was ineffective.
“This municipality has become the breeding ground for corruption by ANC-affiliated employees and politicians.
“The mayor and all her subordinates in this municipality have no regard for the dejected poor masses of our people,” it said.
It further alleged that the irregular billing system was another method of looting funds.
“It is because of this inaccurate and irregular billing system that our people have found themselves owing exorbitant amounts of money ...
“It is because of this inaccurate billing system that our people have found themselves in darkness.”
Mavuso said: “BCM must take reasonable measures ... to ensure that its residents have adequate access to houses, water and social security.
The EFF’s list of demands to BCM include:
- All senior officials within BCMM that are implicated in the corruption and mismanagement of Covid-19 relief funds must be suspended with immediate effect pending the investigation and finalisation of the disciplinary processes;
- All the officials involved and implicated in the irregular and unlawful awarding of tenders in BCMM including but not limited to “Court Crescent Recreational Park Project” that was increased from R87.77m to R104.88m without adequate composition of the bid adjudication committee must be suspended with immediate effect pending the finalisation of the disciplinary processes;
- The outsourcing and privatisation of essential services within the BCMM must be discontinued and the municipality must start to create jobs for its residents to provide services efficiently;
- All the accumulated debt by the ratepayers due to irregular and inaccurate smart reading billing system should be scrapped and cancelled with immediate effect;
- A new accurate and reliable billing system must be introduced;
- There must be an annual lifestyle audit for all the senior management officials within the municipality;
- There must be a land audit for all the land within the Buffalo City municipality to give land to our people; and
- People from all the informal settlements in Duncan Village, Nompumelelo, Ducats, Orange Groove, Emagalini-Abomvu, Ententeni and many other areas must be provided with proper houses, water and sanitation.
BCM council speaker Humphrey Maxhegwana said the EFF’s demands would be looked into.
“We are dealing with a number of issues ... we have appointed investigators to look into the issues such as the Mdantsane swimming, Water World and Court Crescent Recreational Park Project.
“Anyone who was implicated will be dealt with by the law.”
Daily Dispatch
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