The ruling African National Congress’s promise to clear 215Â 000 bucket toilets within a year — part of its local-government campaign pledge — is “simply not going to happen”, says official opposition leader Tony Leon.
Addressing a press conference at Parliament on Monday, the Democratic Alliance leader said the ANC has “systematically broken the promises it made in its 2000 local government manifesto”.
He said there is “every indication” that should the ANC retake power in a significant number of municipalities on March 1 — when local-government elections are being held — the promises it made in 2006 “will once again be ignored”.
Leon said that in terms of converting bucket toilets to pit latrines, South Africa has only been able to convert 11Â 000 to pit latrines in the past two years.
Chronic financial mismanagement has blighted service delivery that the ANC in 2000 promised to improve significantly.
“But today, of the 284 municipalities in South Africa, 203 or 71% cannot provide sanitation to 60% of their residents; 182 or 64% are unable to remove refuse from 60% of houses; 155, or 55% cannot provide water to 60% of properties; and 37 or 13% are unable to provide free basic electricity.”
In addition, 122 or 43% are unable to provide electricity for 60% of homes, while 116 or 41% are unable to provide access to housing for 60% of residents.
He noted that the indifference of ANC councillors to service-delivery failures has led to widespread protests in municipalities nationwide.
“In local communities across South Africa since 2000, unemployment has risen, economic development has stagnated, crime has increased and the number of people infected with HIV has soared in the face of ANC inaction.”
Noting that at the end of 2004 the official figure for uncollected debt stood at R32,1-billion — and probably stands at R40-billion today — Leon said billing systems are key to resolving this problem.
Noting that there are two types of debtors, those who can pay and those who cannot, Leon said it is required in terms of law to protect those who cannot pay. But systems need to be in place to avoid chaotic billing systems allowing those who do not wish to pay to get away with it. — I-Net Bridge