Governing coalition in Tshwane says township infrastructure projects first to be abandoned

JOHANNESBURG - The governing coalition in Tshwane says infrastructure projects from townships are the first to get stopped when the city runs into financial trouble.

The cash-strapped municipality has in the past resorted to abandoning projects halfway due to money running out.

At a media briefing on Tuesday, the newly elected Tshwane executives say under the previous administration, township-based projects were the first on the chopping block.

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During the eight years the City of Tshwane was governed by Democratic Alliance-led coalitions, the African National Congress (ANC) accused them of prioritising suburban areas.

However, the DA has always responded by saying a majority of the city’s capital budget is geared towards township areas.

City of Tshwane's Deputy Mayor, Eugene Modise, says while this is true, projects in the townships don’t get finished.

"We had 23 road projects stopped and all of them are in the black townships. As you go to Menlyn, there is a road rehabilitated to the tune of R500 million and there is no pothole, as you go to the University of Pretoria, there is a road rehabilitated again with R350 million. 

"Whereas in black townships there are no tar roads. Actually, they have excavated the roads and left them like that. Our people cannot access their residential areas and when it's raining it's bad. The kids cannot go to school.”

Modise said the municipality aimed to address this imbalance when putting together the mid-term budget adjustment.