As the race for Tshwane Major intensifies, GOOD Party’s candidate who is also a property professional, Sarah Mabotsa, promises to bring back law and order in Tshwane and to ensure that the City delivers services to the people.
Mabotsa who has decades-long experience working at senior levels in the public sector assured Tshwane residents that she will work hard to fix what was wrong and to further make sure that services were brought to those who have none.
“I spent decades working at senior levels in the public service and I know from experience that the only way to fix a bad government is to get good leaders in at the top so that they can sweep it clean,” she said.
Mabotsa spoke strongly against corruption, further making it clear that she was in full support of the Public Protector’s recommendation for Tshwane to stop and recover the money wasted through multi-million Rand salaries which were being paid to irregularly appointed as well as unqualified people.
“It is time to stop Tshwane wasting billions of Rands of our money through irregular expenditure. We need to stop that and divert the money back into service delivery to get the City working.
“Tshwane is in a mess. The Auditor-General reported that R2,9 billion was lost to irregular expenditure in the 2019/2020 financial year. International rating agency Moodys downgraded the metro by four notches this year. The City is bankrupt and we have to fix it – fast,” added Mabotsa.
If elected as the Tshwane Major, Mabotsa committed herself that she would clean up all corruption in the City and also put an end to tender fraud which proved to be one of the major challenges in the capital city.
Mabotsa said, “I am committed to cleaning up government and stopping tender fraud. This is possible with the right leaders – we can implement better oversight on spending; ensure clean, public, open bidding processes; and professionalise the public service so that it is accountable, efficient, and transparent.
“These simple steps will save us all billions of Rands and mean we can build a City that works – a City with working streetlights, working robots, decent roads, affordable electricity, and a reliable supply of water that is safe to drink. This is no pipe dream. We have enough money to do this, but at the moment, that money is being wasted”.
The highly experienced Mabotsa gave a scenario to Tshwane residents, simply and clearly outlining how they were exploited by greedy and corrupt leaders.
“For example, between 2016 and 2020, the DA-led Tshwane Council, supported by the EFF, increased the City’s salary bill by 55%. The costs have gone up from R6.9bn in 2016 to more than R10.5bn in 2020. These additional billions in salaries are raised through more expensive water, electricity and rates costs. These billions come from your pockets,” she explained.
Mabotsa also came out guns blazing, strongly criticizing the appointments of people who did not have the necessary qualifications.
She gave an example of Mr Previn Govender, the head of Tshwane Emergency Services, whom she said was appointed in 2017 on a 5-year contract, earning more than R2 million per year.
“Last year, the Public Protector investigation ordered the Tshwane Council to set aside Mr Govender’s appointment. The Public Protector’s investigation discovered that “Mr Govender did not meet the appointment requirements for the post of Chief of Emergency as stipulated in the Job Advertisement for the post and in terms of section 56 of the Municipal Systems Act.”
Mabotsa highlighted that despite not having relevant qualifications and for his appointment to be set aside as per the Public Protector’s recommendation, Mr Govender continued to get his salary.
She further revealed that, “The Auditor-General found that Tshwane lost R2.9 billion of our money to irregular expenditure in the 2019/20 financial year. Irregular appointments of unqualified staff are part of that problem, as the investigation from the Public Protector proves.
“Instead of hiring unqualified people into multi-million Rand positions, we have to professionalise the public service. We have to stop the corruption and hire the right people, with the right qualifications and experience”.
Mabotsa who took a leaf out of Patricia de Lille’s book when she began cleaning up her department said that it was important to stop wasteful expenditure and to start redirecting the money into good use for the people and the City of Tshwane.
“We must take back our City from the looters and fix it. A GOOD government will stop the waste and redirect your money back into service delivery. Working cities are places where people can find work. Let’s fix Tshwane and get it working,” concluded Mabotsa, who is a graduate of Venda and Wits Universities, having studied Political studies, specializing in Property Management.
