DA vows to fix eThekwini’s water crisis if elected: Hill-Lewis

Democratic Alliance (DA) Leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says his party’s priority after a successful local government election will be to fix the eThekwini metro’s water problems.

Hill-Lewis and the party’s Federal Leader Solly Msimanga held an election meeting in uMhlanga, Durban on Wednesday night.

He says 65%  of the city’s bulk water is currently lost, and that the city has 13 000 water leaks.

Hill-Lewis told the meeting that the party will restore integrity in the running of the city by having all senior officials undergo lifestyle audits, while inculcating a culture of service.

He says, “When you’ve got so many problems, you’ve got to focus. He’s (DA eThekwini mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen)  going to focus on the water infrastructure, which is most in crisis; that is going to be his absolute day and night obsession as the mayor of Durban.”

Hill-Lewis adds, “It’s important that people know that because that’s going to entail some tough choices; it’s going to entail some prioritisation and a lot of hard work and focus, but that is what people are going to get. They’re going to get a team of people who bring integrity back to Durban government.”

“GOOD LOCAL GOVERNANCE CREATES JOBS”

Msimanga has emphasised that good local governance creates jobs.

He says according to the latest job creation report by Statistics South Africa, 420 000 jobs were created in Cape Town over the last five years, as much as the other seven metros in the country put together.

Msimanga asked if protestors against illegal immigrants have asked themselves why people are flocking to South Africa.

“They never ask one question: what has made people leave home to come here? Broken services, an economy that is not moving, are what have made people leave Zimbabwe; what has made people leave Malawi; what is making people leave Nigeria; what is making people to leave countries that they come from to come here. Where will you and I go if we don’t make this country work?”

RELATED VIDEO | DA steps up KZN election campaign: