President Cyril Ramaphosa has challenged Cape Town’s long-held reputation as South Africa’s ‘best-run metro,’ questioning the city’s service delivery record in its poorest communities.
Addressing questions from African National Congress (ANC) delegate Kenny Mmoiemang, Cyril said government data points to a widening gap between Cape Town’s affluent suburbs and its township communities.
‘One cannot stand on Table Mountain and say I am doing better than others. You need to demonstrate that on a per capita basis, you are changing the lives of people. That is what’s required,’ he stated.
The president’s remarks come just weeks after he commended municipalities governed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) for their performance, a sentiment he seemed to temper in his latest comments.
Cape Town has been under DA administration since 2006 and while the city frequently receives recognition for its “clean audits and financial stability,” Cyril argued that these figures tell only part of the story.
“You may well say yes, on the audited financial statements, it is shown that yes, it has done well, but in the end, what really matters is the impact on the lives of the people,” he added.
Cyril went further, referencing the Census data directly, noting that if census data indicates a metro is performing worse than most others, it should be a real cause for concern.
First published by Cape {town} etc
Compiled by Lulama Klassen
Also see: South Africans unhappy with Cyril Ramaphosa’s Mkhwanazi remarks