
Editor’s note: This article was adapted from a Cape Party press release published on Facebook.
With day zero fast approaching and the Democratic Alliance (DA)-led municipal council bungling efforts to avert a total disaster in Cape Town, the African National Congress (ANC)-led national government continues to stonewall any emergency relief efforts to help avoid the impending disaster, according to Jack Miller, leader of the Cape Party.
“These actions are reminiscent of Joseph Stalin’s Berlin blockade of 1948, in which Stalin spitefully closed the city down, and goods had to be airlifted in for more than a year” says Miller.
Miller believes that national government’s blockade of funds to the Western Cape constitutes an “act of war” against the people of Cape Town and the Western Cape.
He cited the Division of Revenue Act, a piece of national legislation passed every year to “provide for the equitable division of revenue raised nationally among the national, provincial and local spheres of government for the […] financial year, the determination of each province’s equitable share and allocations to provinces, local government and municipalities from national government’s equitable share and the responsibilities of all three spheres pursuant to such division and allocations”. According to Miller, the City of Cape Town alone contributes R150 billion in taxes to the Treasury, but receives only R2 billion in return, to supplement the city’s annual budget.
“The crime is greater than most people believe. 86% of the city budget is already drawn from the pockets of Capetonians in rates and levies. The national government only gives back 5% of what they collect. We are demanding some of the money collected in Cape Town to be returned to alleviate the crisis”, says Miller
Miller attributed the crisis to poor governance at all levels. “It is an outrage that the city’s water augmentation schemes are behind schedule and will only take effect after the city runs out of water”.
Miller said that Cape Town was not helped by infighting and instability within the Western Cape DA.
“Patricia De Lille was evidently the wrong choice for Mayor. She has been sidelined in part because of her mismanagement of the water crisis, but the question is: Why did the DA take so long to act?”
Featured image: Cape Party on Facebook
Warchylde
I believe now is the time to request a referendum.
1. To replace the DA with a capable government
2. To establish The Cape as it’s own country.
Cliff Smith
In light of Dept of Water’s own official report that warn clearly that the bulk water infrastructure in the W Cape – as it stood by the end of 2007 – would be swamped and unable to meet demand by 2015 and their subsequent inaction I would say that the Minister of Water is vulnerable to a class action lawsuit for dereliction of duty.
Anyone know how to get this thing rolling?
http://www.dwa.gov.za/Projects/RS_WC_WSS/Docs/Summary%20Report.pdf https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aa037cc46000e54f21d1377bae562b4bccf4169676d20250f38d4f0ca1b45df8.jpg