By STAFF REPORTER
The Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD) president, Mbahare Kekana said he is adamant that his party will perform well during the 2021 Local Elections (LGE). Kekana, who embarked on a trail of election campaigns across the country, recently welcomed over 400 ANC members in Zeerust who defected to his party.
“We say statistics and numbers do not lie. We welcome those who found a political home here into F4SD. So, let’s work hard and ensure that we remove the old tired political party from power.
“Through devoting your vote to the F4SD, we will be able to bring a better future with committed servants who are ready to serve our South African communities. Be the change that you wish to see in your community,” he said.
In 2016 LGE, the statistics has proven that F4SD became the 4th biggest political party in the North West Province. Kekana further said they have amassed 55 202 votes and won 29 proportional Representative (PR) Council seats.
“We focused on challenges that are facing our municipalities today which we wish to address them as the upcoming political party that is dedicated to serve with dignity in all municipalities we are elected in.
“Lack of providing our people with adequate service delivery which include proper nutrition, water and sanitation, electricity, proper healthcare services facing South African communities are found in the areas of service delivery, unemployment, economic challenges and that there is very little capacity for social development programs,” said Kekana.
He further said they have seen through reports of the Auditor General (AG) on the wasteful, fruitless expenditure of municipalities with some placed under section 100. Kekana added the use of consultants also cost municipalities millions of rands.
“Another challenge is political deployment on senior official positions with no relevant qualifications in municipalities. There is a lack of management of funds such as Municipal Infrastructure Grants (MIG) meant to inter-grade the lives of communities.
“Most municipalities experience bad audit outcomes and collapse of local government finances through corruption, mismanagement and maladministration against politicians and senior officials,” said Kekana.
He said most municipalities are in disarray because there is lack of accountability and consequence management on senior officials who fail to adhere and to subscribe to the PMFA.
“Our country is very rich, but despite South Africa’s middle-income status, half of its citizens lack adequate nutrition, water, energy, shelter, and health-care and quality education. The system is more than creaking under the strain because of the red tapes that are preventing small businesses to emerge and flourish.
“We are in what has to be called a crisis and we need a comprehensive review of social care which doesn’t just look at funding, but also asks how the funding model and levels will address poverty, unemployment and the growing economy in our communities,” he said.
Kekana said many municipalities are given powers to pass their own legislation in the form of by-laws and those powers should be used to remove red tapes which prevent residents from participating in the country’s informal economy, which is currently in the hands of the foreigners.
Meanwhile, ANC North West IPC spokesperson, Kenny Morolong said logically as the organisation, they are expected to terminate the memberships of those members and remove them as ANC representative councillors. He said ANC is dealing with this matter and will make public announcements in due course.
The Guardian 