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DA accuses ANC of hijacking basic municipal services for political gain

The Democratic Alliance is accusing the ANC of misleading the public with “cheap political campaigns purported as service delivery initiatives” in relation to a mayoral campaign called “Letsema Service Delivery Friday,” during which Mayor Mhlonishwa Masilela, among other political and administration officials clean up illegal dumping spots and fix potholes.

According to DA Councillor Damien Klopper, the DA has written to Municipal Manager Mr Mandla Mnguni to stop the campaign, Klopper says is funded by taxpayers’ money.

“It is appalling that posters of this initiative contain ANC logos, and further calls on residents to vote for the ANC,” Klopper charges.

 

The Letsema advertising material provided by DA councillor Damien Klopper looks like a bona fide ANC campaign.

He adds that the municipality is mandated to deliver these basic services, as confirmed in the municipality’s framework of the Integrated Development Plan.

“As an organ of the state, the municipality has a duty of ensuring that there is a provision of services to ratepayers, regardless of their political affiliation,” Klopper says.

According to Klopper, such “opaque” efforts by the ANC to hijack mandated municipal services for political gain were a direct contravention of the Municipal Systems Act and local governance framework.

The DA has requested a detailed breakdown of expenses incurred for the design and printing of campaign posters.

Letsema advertising on the official STLM Facebook group, however, contains no ANC logos or a call to votes.

The poster posted of last week’s scheduled Letsema events, posted on the official municipal Facebook group, does not contain either an ANC logo or calls for residents to vote for the party.

Councillor Klopper, however, provided what he says was widely distributed materials ahead of Friday’s campaign.

A request for comment was forwarded to Mr Mnguni and Mayor Masilela’s office by the Middelburg Observer, which will update residents on a response once received.
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Sjani Campher

Sjani has been working as a community journalist and photographer at the Middelburg Observer since 2018, during which she has been responsible for the content creation for both digital and print, as well as maintaining the publication's online platforms. She is a member of the Forum for Community Journalists, and focuses on fields including hard news, investigative reporting, human interest, columns and sports.
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