Local DA members took to the streets in support of the party’s national protest against load-shedding on January 25, and to highlight inefficiencies in local governance.
DA member and ward councillor Shandre Hoffman, said: “Load-shedding is a national issue and the wheels of the ANC are literally falling off.
“Our local residents have to bear the impacts of this and it’s sad for us to see. The only way to change the situation is to change the current government.
“Our biggest issue in Buffalo City is that our budgets allocated for electricity and for infrastructure is now used purely for replacing parts we lose to vandalism and theft.
“There is no money being directed to much-needed maintenance and upgrades of infrastructure. BCM’s current infrastructure budget, which stood at R35m, indicates R27m was used to repair and replace infrastructure lost to cable theft.
“Our mayor is not acknowledging that we have a financial crisis. If there is no acknowledgement there is going to be no change and for now all funding has been frozen.
“There are no funds in our ward-based budgets and we have no infrastructure as ward councillors to service residents.
“I would like residents to know that everything starts with yourself. We can take the power back, not just from the ANC but from criminals as well. We need to unite and stand together.”
Opposition party ward councillors such as the ANC’s Pearl Hanse declined to comment.
