365 Days of Government Based Violence
Council Speech by DA Ekurhuleni Caucus Leader Cllr. Brandon Pretorius
Date: 28 November 2024
Thank you, Madam Speaker — all protocol observed.
Honourable Executive Mayor.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge your comments and the observations you have made about the state of our city.
I have seen that you and your Executive have not only traveled to distant countries but you have taken the time to also travel through the City of
Ekurhuleni to see what the challenges are and the hardships endured by the citizens of our City.
I hope that these visits amount to tangible change and solutions with measurable outcomes, rather than more empty promises.
Madam Speaker,
It is fitting that the Executive Mayor speaks of service delivery, or in the case of the City of Ekurhuleni — minimal service delivery, against the backdrop of 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
It is a shame that the government wheels out its concern for this issue for a mere 16 days, then stuffs it back into the cupboard for 365 days, only to parade it again at the end of each year.
Across the length and breadth of Ekurhuleni, there are women and children who fall foul of Gender Based violence daily, often with no support and no prospect of escaping the circumstances they find themselves in.
I would like to applaud all those in our communities — the NGOs, the caregivers and the support groups who give of themselves without a second thought to assist the vulnerable and the marginalized in our society.
They are indeed the fibre holding our society together.
To the good, honest men and women who serve in the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD), the South African Police Service (SAPS), and our healthcare facilities, I would like to salute you.
Your tireless commitment is often the difference between life and death.
Madam Speaker,
Action against Gender Based violence must occur daily.
If we confine our commitment to eliminate this scourge to a mere 16 days, we do its victims a disservice. Action must empower victims to reclaim their lives, take ownership of their destinies, and break the cycle of abuse.
As the Democratic Alliance (DA), I would like to affirm our solidarity with organizations and individuals who fight for victims of Gender Based violence.
I would like to express our strong support for the victims of Gender Based violence and assure them that the DA will always be here for them.
Madam Speaker,
I stated earlier that it was fitting for the Executive Mayor to speak about service delivery during the 16 days of activism.
How do service delivery failures and Gender based violence intersect?
Well, Madam Speaker — let me elaborate.
Executive Mayor, while we are glad that you formed part of the Helderwyk Handover, and are joyed by all the important people who joined you, we would request that in future you include the hardworking ward councillors in such achievements.
The exclusion of our female councillor hit home putting focus on the real reality still faced by some.
Gender Based Violence, Madam Speaker becomes a broad topic.
Like most of Gauteng under the misguided ANC-EFF pact of doom, residents in the City of Ekurhuleni suffer at the hands of incompetence, mismanagement, and unaccountability.
One could refer to this as another form of GBV — Government-Based Violence.
Residents suffer at the hands of those who are meant to lead by example.
They suffer at the hands of the very people entrusted with providing socio-economic prosperity.
They suffer because, as a government, this ANC-EFF coalition has failed them.
Not once, not for 16 days, but for 365 days of the year.
Madam Speaker,
Water outages are new type of ANC/EFF induced chaos of this most basic services.
Madam Speaker, it is said that a study showed that if we would have to put the ANC/EFF in charge off air that we would soon run out of that to.
Right now, water restrictions are in place.
This is not because we have no water, but because maintenance, upgrades, and investment in new infrastructure have been neglected.
Communities across the city, from Etwatwa to Elandsfontein — Thembisa to Thokoza — are left high and dry by this Executive and its inability to address this matter with the urgency it deserves.
Residents and businesses are told to use less, threatened with fines should they not adhere to restrictions — but they are not the ones who allow thousands of kilolitres of fresh drinking water to run down the drain due to burst pipes and decaying infrastructure.
To highlight the severity of this problem, the Democratic Alliance brought a motion to Council last month seeking to fast-track repairs to water leaks and establish a dedicated hotline to prioritize this matter.
This motion was shut down by the coalition of chaos running the city as it was deemed frivolous.
Executive Mayor,
I would like you to tell the people who cannot cook, clean, bathe, or have something to drink that their basic human rights are frivolous.
Do you think they will agree?
Your MMC for Water and Sanitation, Executive Mayor — and I quote, said “let’s not use this motion to score political points” and disregarded the intention of the motion.
Now a month later we are seeing a item brought to this house to discuss the same.
Madam Speaker,
Swathes of the city go for days and nights on end in the dark as mentioned by the executive Mayor.
I have been in contact with a resident of Boksburg this morning who cannot get power restored to his home despite logging faults and escalating the matter for more than two weeks.
He is not alone.
Mr Mayor you mention Germiston here this morning.
As we sit here in Germiston the power is off.
There are communities who, under this ANC-EFF coalition, do not go a full seven-day week without power outages.
As of 03h00 this morning the residents and business owners of:
Elandshaven, Gosforth Park, Gosforth Park Industrial, Airport Park, Germiston CBD, Georgetown, Germiston South, Driehoek, Mimosa Park, Parts of Estera, Stone Arch, Castleview, Germiston ext 4, Germiston ext 33, Jupiter, Delville, Webber, Lambton, Hazel Park, Hazeldene, Lambton Gardens
Have been subjected to yet another outage.
The residents are tired of hearing about Germiston and its issues. Germiston demands action Mr Mayor.
This administration’s inability to keep the lights on because our assets are stripped right before our eyes has far-reaching consequences and I want to state executive mayor it is not up to private security companies to look after our infrastructure.
The question Mr Mayor is where are the security personal who should be employed under the EFF/ANC R2 Billion Security tender.
Not only have we fostered a culture of impunity, because seemingly no one is held to account, but we are endorsing despair and at the same time putting the responsibility of the city on to those who pay for services they don’t receive.
Madam Speaker,
Look around our CBDs and you’ll notice a common theme.
Besides the decaying infrastructure, what is explicitly visible are the vacant buildings.
Buildings that were once home to shops.
Shops that once supported communities.
Our CBDs are dead, and you have killed them.
In a city plagued by unprecedented levels of unemployment, where the reality is one of hopelessness and despair, it is little wonder that socio-economic ailments are rife.
It is against this backdrop that Gender Based violence festers and grows.
It is against this backdrop that abuse is meted out to our marginalized and vulnerable.
I want our residents to know that the DA is fighting in their corner. We will always have your back.
We fight for your rights; we fight for your services — we fight for your dignity.
Madam Speaker,
I want residents to know that for 365 days a year, the DA fights against GBV.
Not only Gender-Based Violence but also against Government-Based Violence — of which this coalition is the greatest repeat offender.
Mr Mayor,
It is almost Christmas so let me give credit where credit is due: we welcome the one thing that you did manage to do and that is to put on those beautiful blue shoes this morning.
I thank you.
