DA Speeches in Council 29 January 2009: Transport

SPEECH BY CLLR JUSTUS DE GOEDE

Annexure A Bus rapid transit function

Mr Speaker

Allow me to address these closely-aligned Items jointly, as each bears directly on the other.

The DA has often said in the past that the BRT proposals, which have also been adopted by Johannesburg and Cape Town, are with some reservations, a positive development. No conventional bus system in South Africa can be described as working well and the concept of a dedicated bus thoroughfare, while extremely expensive and complex to build, has been shown elsewhere to contribute to moving people rapidly and safely. Item 3 correctly identifies the problem of taking the taxi industry in particular with us, as both Cape Town and Johannesburg found out to their cost.

Having said this, I think we have to admit that the BRT system in this city – and I am fairly sure the same goes for the other Metros – will not be ready to contribute to public transport in 2010, which makes the reference on page 9 to the fact that “Tshwane’s new buses will not be delivered”, puzzling. I take it these are the standard passenger busses, not suited to the BRT. Estimates from manufacturers are that about 1 200 extra buses would be needed in SA for 2010, assuming they can be built in time ; how does our Metro tend to tackle this problem?

I know that the Mayor is allergic to the word “bus”, but I would be pleased to hear from the MMC exactly what is on the table for the extremely demanding transport program for the World Cup ; we surely don’t intend to run the present museum pieces during the tournament, even if Economic Development has requested a budget for paint to make them look more presentable.

So, mr Speaker, if BRT is no-show in 2010, what then?

Thank you

Councillor Justus de Goede (083 7332557)

SPEECH BY CLLR PETER MILLAR (DA), ward 41.

Annexure A.2. Item 1

Tshwane International Freight Airport

Member of the Portfolio Committee, City Planning and Regional Development.

In the book, Alice in Wonderland, they spoke about curioser and curioser.

In this municipality everything is curiouser and curioser.

This report about the Tshwane International Freight Airport is not just curioser, but also imaginable and quite comical.

About two years ago when the original report first served in Council, it stated the following:
This was a private initiative and the municipality would not be involved.
The only costs to the municipality would be provision of services, water, sewage, electricity, roads, etc.
The main reason for establishing this airport was that Boeing wanted to build a service centre in the southern hemisphere and this was the perfect location.
Freight would be a secondary activity to make extra money.
Wonderboom Airport would not be affected at all by the new airport.

This report starts off with some very flowery language that is reminiscent of the Wonderland that Alice lived in.

In point 2, if you believe the writer, you can imagine the six lane freeway that extends all the way all the way up Africa, through the rift valley, into Cairo. All fantasy, of cause.

The writer of the report starts to hallucinate even more when he talks about the airport creating 66 000 new jobs every year. That is just a dream.

The hallucination continues through the report.

No mention is made of Boeing and its service centre. Maybe that was an illusion in the first place.
The costs of development will be the responsibility of the municipality.
It goes so far as to say that the Municipality must expropriate the land.
Then the report reaches its height of obserdity when it says that Wonderboom Airport must close.

As you can see, this is in total contradiction to the earlier report.

Maybe this report was presented as some kind of joke for our amusement. In that case the writer has something in common with the author of Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll.

However, the author was known use opium before writing his books. I certainly hope that the writer of this report does not use opium or anything like that. I hope it was only his wild, creative, imagination that came to the fore while writing this report.

To be able to imagine that this municipality could afford buying the land when money is in such short supply, is a real gift. We are talking about hundreds of millions of rands. However, the report does not specify how much all this will cost, but does expect this almost bankrupt Council to make a decision.

I would venture to say that there are numerous other projects have priority before this type of expenditure.

This project can only become a reality with the backing of national government. We can never do it on our own. Why we are even trying, I don’t know.

We must have a serious commitment from national government before we waste any more time and effort on this unaffordable project.

Let’s have a dose of reality and realise that we do not live in the fantasy world of Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland.

All that we have got is Gwen in Wonderland by Tobogo Komane.

PETER MILLAR
DA COUNCILLOR, WARD 41
012-342-0527
082-574-4103
petermillar@polka.co.za

DA Speeches Council Meeting 29 January 2009 - Electricity

SPEECH BY CLLR GERT PRETORIUS

Council meeting 29 January 2009 Part 1 Item 1

Electricity

Mr Speaker this is a very important report and although it has served before the relevant portfolio committee, I still want to say something about it. This Country and specifically our city is facing an extremely serious situation in the sense that peak period demand for electricity exceeds Eskom’s ability to supply sufficient electricity during peak periods. The sad truth is that if we are forced to do load shedding; we also load shed people. Their ability to move around freely to and from work, their ability to actually do their work and to put bread on the table, aspects related to health and education, these and more are severely affected by power outages.

In this report there are good proposals but unfortunately nothing that will immediately endeavour to address the situation. We looked at seven alternative sources for energy and I am of the opinion that we can do mush more to effect at least three of this proposals.

Eerstens Mnr die Speaker moet ons baie meer reklame maak oor die gebruik van sonkrag. Ek het dit al voorheen gese maar ek gaan dit weer se. Indien die verbruiker regtig bewus is en ek glo dat baie verbruikers wel die erens van die saak begryp sal hulle meer genee wees on self iets aan die situasie te doen. Om van sonkrag waterverwarmers gebruik te maak spaar die verbruiker nie net op sy elektrisiteitsrekening nie, maar lewer die verbruiker ‘n uiters belangrikke bydrae om minder las op Eskom se kragleweringsvermoe te plaas. Hierdie reklameveldtog kan die raad tog nie so baie kos nie en kan onmiddelik geimplimenteer word. Die raad kan byvoorbeeld in samewerking met Tshwabac en die handel permanente uitstalruimtes beskikbaar stel en die inwoners aanmoedig om hierdie uitstallings te besoek.

I want to remind this house that more than two years ago this council accepted a motion proposed, if I am not mistaken, by Councillors Dr Napier and Prof Baker that all new developments should install solar water heating as a matter of course. Economy of scale makes this a viable proposition. Are we doing this?

The second possibility is to urge residents to make use of LP gas and acquire some LP gas equipment. Most households normally prepare their main meals for the day during evening peak demand periods. The use of a gas stove can do wonders in limiting the city’s electricity demand during these critical periods. Again the council must embarked on an awareness campaign to inform our residents out there. This can also be part of a semi permanent exhibition as mentioned before.

Thirdly we should investigate and accelerate the deployment of load shedding on all existing electrical hot water systems. According to an engineering study done by IST some time ago, it should be relatively easy for the city to shed some 200-300 Megawatts during periods peak demand by using this simple approach.
Sir, I would plead with this Council that this technology be implemented rather sooner than later. The Department should be tasked with coming up with a strategic assessment and implementation plan with time lines to do this.

Mr Speaker, I plead that we opt for the easy and simple approaches first as a matter of urgency, whilst at the same time pursuing all other options as well.

Ek wil ook graag ‘n beroep op ons verbruikers doen. Dit is so dat ons as verbruikers nie aandeel gehad het in die onvermoe van Eskom om nie nou en ook nie vir die afsienbare toekoms voldoende elektrisiteit te lewer nie. Ons kan en ek glo dat dit ons landsplig is om ‘n bydrae te maak om so min as moontlik elektrisiteit te gebruik. Kom ons oorweeg dinge soos die installering van sonwaterverwarmingstelsels, die gebruik van gastoestelle en die installering van energiebesparende gloeilampe in ‘n poging om soveel moontlik elektrisiteit te bespaar. Dit is eintlik in ons land, in ons stad en in ons eie belang!

Ek dank u.

Councillor Gert Pretorius
DA Spokesperson: Energy and Electricity
0825523590

DA Speeches Council 29 January 2009 - Metro Police

SPEECH BY CLLR KAREN MEYER

COUNCIL MEETING 29 JANUARY 2009
PART III, ITEM 12: 2007/08 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT

Metro Police

According to the Analysis of the Function on Page 497, it is stated that for the 2006/07 financial year, excluding contract workers, the Metro Police had 1751 officers. If goes further to state that in the 2007/08 financial year, the Metro Police had 1819 officers. A mere 68 additional members!!!!! Where my dear Mayor, is that extra staff you bragged about in the last two years??? Again a mere ANC promise backed up with no facts???

As for operation staff, the Metro Police had 1 025 in 2006/07 and 1 117 in 2007/08, thus only 92 more. 92 More to protect the residents of this city on our streets!

Absolutely shocking if you take into consideration the Mayors elaborate press statements in the last two years stating how “serious” she is about the crime situation. The figures clearly show how serious the ANC is about crime!

However, to come back to the report, still on page 497, I can now understand where all the money for the Metro Police department went in the last year!

The Senior Management of 14 officers, received as salaries and cost to Council a total of R1 388 304 in the 2006/07 financial year. Exactly one year later, the same 14 officers received a whooping R11 060 340! This means an increase of R9 672 036.

There were a total of 275 Detectives and Supervisors in 2006/07 at a cost of R49 016 308, in 2007/08 however, the number declined to 262, but their salaries & cost to Council increased as well to an astonishing R106 810 877! As for the Administrative personnel, we had 437 at a cost of R13 123713 in 2006/07. In 2007/08 we have 426 at an astronomical cost of R119 952 010!

The Visible police officers on the street I mentioned earlier, were a total of 1025 in 2006/07 at a salary total of R46 942 294. In 2007/08, we have 1117 with a total cost of R233 262 221! The total cost to company is absolutely unbelievably high!

Interesting to note that this department issued a total of 185 843 traffic offences in 2006/07 but could only manage 152 340 in 2007/08. No wonder we did not see them on the streets because they weren’t there!!!

As for the Fire Brigade Section, we had 611 personnel in 2006/07 and in 2007/08 we only had 495! What happened? How can this in any way be acceptable?

As for Disaster Management, it is clearly top heavy! Employers in the field amounts in 2007/08 to only 18 but there are 7 in Senior Management and 8 Detectives and Supervisors? Not acceptable and this department should get its priorities straight.

The KPA’s is a joke and not worth a waist of breath!

This report should be kept as the best example of bad management!

The bottom-line for the Community Safety Department is that millions are spend on salaries for a specific service to be provided, but although the tax-payers money goes out; their monies worth for services is not supplied! Shame on this department for failing dismally!

COMPILED BY:
CLR KAREN MEYER
DA SPOKESPERSON : COMMUNITY SAFETY
TSHWANE METRO COUNCIL
(MOBILE: 082 3737 662)

DA Speeches Council 29 January 2009 - Housing

SPEECH BY CLLR VICKEY BOSCH

COUNCIL MEETING THURSDAY, 29 JANUARY 2009

Tshwane Housing Board

Mr Speaker,

Strategic objective no. 5 of the City of Tshwane is to ensure good governance, financial viability and optimal institutional transformation with the capacity to execute its mandate.

To this end, the City of Tshwane wishes to appoint 8 members to the Board of Directors of the Housing Company Tshwane.

Great care was taken by the Portfolio Committee: Housing and Sustainable Development in recommending these candidates to ensure that they collectively possess the required skills, commitment and experience, including that relating to the business objectives of the municipal entity and to take decisions and monitor its affairs. The whole selection process was open, transparent and fair.

Once the Executive Mayor has officially announced the names of the Board of Directors of the HCT, the DA would like to extend its congratulations to the eight successful candidates.

A heavy responsibility now rests on the shoulders of the Board of Directors to deal with all governance issues pertaining to the HCT and they will be fully aware that the eyes of Tshwane now rest on them to ensure that they carry out their duties to the benefit of the City of Tshwane and its residents. They need to follow the King II Code of good corporate governance and any conflict of interest by any Board Member must be declared. The Council will exercise oversight over the Board and look forward to receiving quarterly progress reports from them.

We hope the newly appointed Board of Directors of the HCT will have a long and fruitful association with the City of Tshwane.

The DA would also like to take this opportunity of thanking the officials for a clear, concise report on this matter.

Thank you.

Clr Vickey Bosch
(082 443 3861)

SUBSIDISED HOUSES WITHOUT WATER METERS COST TAX PAYERS MILLIONS

MEDIA STATEMENT: COUNCILLOR GERT PRETORIUS, DA SPOKESPERSON FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, TSHWANE. 13 JANUARY 2008.

For almost three years now water connections are made to some houses in the Tshwane metro pole without water meters. Housing departments at the various government levels simply continues with the building of subsidized units and connect these houses without water meters to municipal networks.

At present there are an estimated 15 000 houses in the Tshwane metro pole without water meters or that does not receive municipal accounts for water usage. If 15 000 houses use an average of 20 kl of water a month for which they don’t receive an account, it cost the city council R20. 5 million rand a year.

The DA supports a suggestion that an audit be conducted immediately to determine the magnitude of the problem and that negotiations between the various departments of the provincial and local authorities take place as a matter of urgency.

It is very unfair that the tax payer must boot the bill for poor service delivery.

Enquiries: Clr Gert Pretorius ( 082 552 3590)


MILJOENE OPGEDOK VIR GESUBSIDIEERDE HUISE SONDER WATERMETERS

MEDIAVERKLARING: RAADSLID GERT PRETORIUS, DA WOORDVOERDER VIR OPENBARE WERKE EN INFRASTRUKTUUR, TSHWANE : 13 JANUARIE 2008

Gedurende die afgelope ongeveer drie jaar vind wateraansluitings na sommige huise in Tshwane sonder watermeters na hartelus plaas. Behuisingsdepartemente van die onderskeie regerings gaan doodeenvoudig voort met die bou van gesubsidieerde eenhede en sluit hierdie wonings sonder watermeters by die munisipale netwerke aan.

Na raming is daar tans ongeveer 15,000 wooneenhede in die Tshwane metropool wat geen watermeters het nie of wat ‘n munisipale rekening vir die verbruik van water ontvang nie. Indien 15,000 wooneenhede gemiddeld 20kl water per maand gebruik waarvoor hulle nie ‘n rekening ontvang nie, kos dit die stadsraad R20.5miljoen per jaar.

Die DA steun ‘n voorstel dat daar onmiddelik ‘n oudit uitgevoer moet word om die omvang van die probleem vas te stel en dat samesprekings tussen die verskillende departemente van Provinsiale en Plaaslike owerhede as ‘n saak van dringendheid moet plaasvind.

Die gewone belastingbetaler kan net nie meer die houe vat nie – hulle is al vuisvoos geslaan oor volgehoue swak administrasie.

Navrae: Raadslid Gert Pretorius ( 082 552 3590)

Delivering the South African Dream: One Nation One Future

Saturday, 15 November 2008
SPEECH BY HELEN ZILLELEADER OF THE DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE
CONSTITUTION HILL, JOHANNESBURG

What we have unveiled here today is not just a new logo, a different look. This is not a marketing exercise. It’s much, much more than that. It’s our promise - a promise that we will deliver on the South African dream for the rainbow people.
We signal here today a new approach - to South Africa, to the voters, to the future. There will be a new offer; a new style of campaigning; a new determination to address the injustices and transcend the racial divisions of our country’s past.
We share a dream for South Africa with millions of people who do not yet identify with the DA, and millions more who do. Our mission, going forward, is to turn that dream into a reality.
We saw last week how in the United States of America, Barack Obama made history by overcoming history. He convinced people that they could. And so can we.
We can overcome our past; we can turn South Africa into a safe, prosperous, free society in which everyone has a fair shot at achieving their dreams, irrespective of the circumstances of their birth.
But as we move forward, we will not cut ourselves adrift from our animating values or our vision for South Africa. On the contrary, our core beliefs and the success we have enjoyed to date, are the foundation for our regeneration and renewal.
And so I want to spell out very clearly what stays the same, and what will change.
What stays the same is our vision of an open opportunity society for all, founded on the bedrock of our core values.
We have always cherished the rights and freedoms of every person, enshrined in a Constitution. We still do.
We have always stood for equal and ever-expanding opportunity. Not for some, but for all. We still do.
We have always believed in the dignity and equality of each and every person, and promoted the language, culture and heritage of all the rainbow people. We still do.
We have always fought for the security of the children, women and men of our country, who deserve to live without fear of criminals. We still do.
We have always been committed to clean government, and exposing corruption wherever it is found. We still are.
We have always believed in an economy driven by the market, appropriately regulated, focused on creating jobs, and a welfare safety net for those who cannot provide for themselves. We still do.
We have always championed tolerance, excellence and personal responsibility. They are core values. We champion them still.
That’s what stays the same.
Now here’s what’s new.
The DA is a party of government.
Let me say that again: Ons is ‘n party van regering; Siza kuba ngumbutho olawulayo kuRhulumente.
We are in government in Cape Town and in many other municipalities. We aim to be in government in various provinces after next year’s election. We are determined to be in government in cities and towns across South Africa in 2011. We will be part of national government in the near future.
Of course, where we are in opposition, we will always provide the critical oversight and policy alternatives that everyone expects of us, and our country requires of us.
But our purpose is not to be an opposition party. It is to be a party of government.
And so, from now on, the DA no longer offers opposition and nothing else.
From today, we offer the people of South Africa a government that really can deliver a better future. A future in which every person is free. Where everyone has access to life-changing opportunities. Where growth and prosperity are shared by all. Where every child is protected and safe. Where each and every language and culture is respected and protected.
That is our dream. That is our promise. That is what we offer and will deliver to the rainbow people.
Our new offer is reflected in the policy proposals we are currently rolling out, covering every area of public life in South Africa today.
Only the DA has a comprehensive policy alternative to the challenges our country faces. Because underlying our offer is real substance - comprehensively researched and carefully considered.
As you can see, our new logo reflects our new offer. It is a morning sun rising over the rainbow nation. It represents our dream of an open opportunity society for all. It lifts our sights and our spirits. It signals hope. And it is grounded in our love for diversity.
The DA is a party that cherishes diversity. Some people believe merit and diversity have to be traded off against each other in South Africa today. We say not so. Not at all.
Diversity lies at the heart of merit. Because diversity adds strength, adds insight, adds value, to each decision we make and every initiative we take.
And so we will ensure diversity inside our party, and fight for it outside of our party. It is a core value. It will not be compromised.
That is why you will see a new DA emerge from here on. More diverse. More reflective of our rich racial, linguistic and cultural heritage. And more committed to providing excellence and equity in public service than ever before.
Friends, the DA loves South Africa. We love our rainbow people in all their glorious diversity. They are our inspiration and our hope.
We love the Constitution, which binds us to one another after so much division and despair.
We love the land itself: the winelands of the Cape; the haunting horizons of the Karoo, the Highveld after a thunder storm; the majesty of the Drakensberg.
The DA will not let down the land we love. We will never give up our dream for the rainbow people.
We will go from this place and campaign, every day and every night. But not just for votes in an election. This is not an election campaign launch. This is the launch of a new vision for South Africa; a renewed determination to make the South African dream a living reality.
And so we will campaign without cease or respite, before and after the election, until our country really is a land of hope and opportunity, of peace and prosperity, of safety and security. For all the rainbow people.
Een nasie, met een toekoms
Sinye isizwe, linye ikamva
One nation, with one future.