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Thirteen days ago Mayor Danny Jordaan promised “a seven-day turnaround time to deal with community grievances” for those living in Booysen Park and surrounds. Mayor Jordaan has broken this promise, in the style of all his ANC comrades before him.

The residents of Booysen Park spend every day dealing with issues relating to lack of housing, non-electrification, dysfunctional or non-existent bulk infrastructure and the vandalism of empty and unassigned RDP units.

Nelson Mandela Bay continues to descend into increasingly violent protests by desperate residents who have been neglected by an ANC of endless broken promises. Vastrap still burns, while the administration promises things it cannot deliver.

The Mayor’s commitments hold no weight when there is no follow-through – this is an abuse of our trust by a self-imposed gatekeeper of freedom and fairness. Our people need a decisive government that sticks to its promises, Mr Mayor, especially in light of the horrific conditions in which our people are forced to live.

Service delivery and housing protests are now a monthly occurrence at the very least, with residents from Walmer, Missionvale, Motherwell and Booysen Park regularly forced to take extreme measures to get attention to their plight.

Our people are being left behind, and are being overlooked by this administration.

I continue to report issues to the municipality and our caucus regularly puts questions to council that seek to gain clarity on the housing and service delivery crises in the Metro. Sadly, these seem to fall on deaf ears.

In a caring Metro, government hears its residents, one and all. We need a government that is close to the people, accessible to the people, and among the people, providing opportunities at every turn.

A caring Metro will be one that doesn’t turn away from its most needy residents and instead focuses on being accessible and approachable.

The DA is set on winning Nelson Mandela Bay at next year’s elections in order to start delivery, stop corruption and create jobs.

Issued by the DA