Will metro merger affect quality of life?
Both the DA and FF Plus in Mogale City are opposed to the metro merger, saying tariffs are expected to go up and service delivery down.
The four local municipalities proposed to become one metropolitan municipality are plagued by service delivery protests, often are without water and electricity, are mismanaged or cannot account for public funds, and are being identified by the Auditor General constantly as areas in dire need of intervention, according to claims by the DA.
Ina Cilliers, Constituency Head of the Democratic Alliance in the Merafong Municipality said if the merger goes ahead the collective debt for the region will be R1,5 billion – which will compromise quality service delivery severely.
Earlier this year Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, requested the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) to consider his request to merge the local municipalities of Randfontein, Mogale City, Merafong and Westonaria into a single metro.
The DA and FF Plus have criticised this move and opposed the merger from the outset. “The Freedom Front Plus managed to stop the merger in 2011 after submitting a complaint to the Public Protector due to proper public participation processes not being followed. The ANC has started the process again, this time also not adhering to proper public participation procedures,” argued Amanda de Lange, FF Plus councillor of Mogale City.
The only residents of the West Rand who will benefit from the process are those who do not pay their municipal accounts, she said.
De Lange said the FF Plus has lodged a complaint to the Demarcation Board and the Public Protector.
Last week, during the budget debate for the Office of the Premier, Gauteng Premier David Makhura said merging municipalities cannot be a perfect solution to poor management and poor leadership.
The decision of whether the West Rand will become one metropolitan municipality was to be made by the Municipal Demarcation Board in Kempton Park on 3 July.
A full report on the matter will be published soon.
Related articles:
•ANC calling on communities to embrace the metro
•‘Service delivery decline if we become a Metro’
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