The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg slams MMC for Human Settlements, Cllr Mlungisi Mabaso, for bringing the City’s image into disrepute following footage revealing political campaigning at an event branded as an official City of Johannesburg Department of Human Settlements programme, raising questions on the municipality’s partiality and the misuse of City resources for political campaigning.
The footage shows the MMC Mabaso, on a municipal platform allowing a speaker to promote him and advance partisan political interests.
We will continue to exercise our oversight role and pursue answers on behalf of the residents of Johannesburg by sending a letter to the Executive Mayor as well as submitting questions in council.
These concerns arise right after the Human Settlements Department Third Quarter Report revealed that MMC Mabaso’s department is facing significant service delivery challenges.
Recent committee reports have highlighted persistent concerns regarding project delays, slow expenditure on capital budgets, housing allocation disputes, informal settlement pressures, weaknesses in project implementation, and the continued failure to meet key performance targets.
The seriousness of the incident warrants an immediate explanation from the MMC and the Department.
Public resources, facilities and programmes funded by ratepayers must be used solely for the benefit of residents and the delivery of services.
They cannot be perceived to be platforms for political campaigning, political endorsements, or party-political mobilisation. The City’s residents have a right to expect that municipal events remain politically neutral and focused on service delivery.
Residents waiting for housing opportunities and basic services deserve a department focused on delivery rather than political spectacle.
We believe that if municipal resources are used for party-political purposes, such conduct would represent a serious breach of public trust and should warrant tangible consequences. Johannesburg’s Human Settlements Department should be concentrating on accelerating housing delivery, accountable governance and professional administration, not the blurring of lines between government programmes and political campaigning.