City of Tshwane refuses to give in to EFF demands on AfriForum collaboration

On Monday, the City of Tshwane, led by the Democratic Alliance (DA) entered into an agreement with civil society group AfriForum for the provision of maintenance services within the city.

This move has been met with criticism from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng, who rejected the agreement on Tuesday.

The EFF accused the DA-led government of outsourcing primary responsibilities and failing to enhance the city’s capacity.

In his response on Thursday, Mayor Cilliers Brink of Tshwane defended the partnership with AfriForum.

‘Not unique to AfriForum’

Brink stated that the memorandum of understanding signed with the non-governmental organisation is part of the city’s whole-of-society approach to improve service delivery and formalise partnerships with various stakeholders.  

The mayor emphasised that the city will continue to render its normal municipal services and that the agreement with AfriForum is not an outsourcing of services or a transfer of municipal functions.

AfriForum will assist Tshwane “by enhancing service delivery such as cutting grass, repairing potholes, and providing other core services”, the mayor’s response statement read.

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Furthermore, Brink also threw out the EFF’s claims to disregard its partnership with AfriForum and argued that their ‘whole-of-society’ approach as the city accepts help from all organisations.

He said that Tshwane is open to receiving help from all organisations.

“These types of agreements are not unique to AfriForum. Previously, we have worked with Hollard Insure to power up traffic lights during loadshedding and we have also worked with Hennops Revival and SoulBent to drive community clean-up campaigns,” Brink added.

Transparency demands

Brink’s response follows EFF’s statement on Tuesday which alleged that AfriForum is known for its support of colonialism and the preservation of apartheid symbols, and is an organisation that should not be entrusted with delivering essential services to Tshwane’s predominantly Black, Colored, Indian, and Chinese residents.

“The DA’s action not only underscores their failure in governing Tshwane but also reveals their inherently racist character as an organisation,” the EFF statement read.

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Furthermore, they believe that the partnership between the DA and AfriForum compromises the well-being and dignity of the city’s residents, and they demand the immediate termination of this alliance.

“AfriForum’s insistence on marginalising Black individuals, using the resources allocated for serving all residents of Tshwane regardless of race, is deeply troubling,” the EFF statement read.

The EFF in Gauteng has called for transparency from the DA regarding the procedures which led to this collaboration with the non-governmental organisation.

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