/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The DA has taken a firm stand for much needed service delivery in Sol Plaatje’s wards by voting firmly against the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), as tabled in Council.

This comes as the ANC and other parties yesterday pushed through the already overdue IDP despite critical ward-based issues, which were a result of public participation, not included as final IDP priorities.

Serious concerns raised by the DA around this issue in the earlier presentation, have been ignored. This means that for the next five years, the IDP will be a superficial plan, aimed at steering money away from urgent ward-related issues such as infrastructure, to merely compensate for the municipality’s own shortfalls.

In addition, the IDP document has many flaws including PR councillors listed as Ward councillors, and even a DA Ward councillor listed as an ANC councillor in a different ward.

The DA is concerned that, other than sidelining community concerns, the IDP in its current form breaches the King Code of Good Governance, Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), and the Municipal Finance Management Act.

The DA is therefore not prepared to rubber stamp the IDP, as other parties did.

An IDP is the strategic guide for a specific area that gives an overall framework for development. The lack of a realistic and implementable IDP will hamper service delivery and progress in wards, for years to come.

Issued by Chris Whittaker, Cllr - Sol Plaatje Municipality