THE DA wants President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Working Group set up to fix the City of Johannesburg to be inclusive.
The party has accused Ramaphosa of establishing the Johannesburg group as an attempt by the ANC to cut through the factionalism that exists in the organisation in the city.
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga also expressed fear that the working group could lead to more battles between ANC factions for control of public resources ahead of the party’s regional conferences, which are scheduled to take place later this year.
Msimanga, who is also the leader of the opposition in the Gauteng provincial legislature, added that it was not clear what Ramaphosa wanted to achieve with his intervention in the City of Johannesburg.
"Does he want to restore Joburg for its residents and the country, or does he simply want to avoid embarrassment at the G20 Summit? So, he proposes the insertion of some or other working group (or task team, if you like). The question is, what power will the Joburg working group have over Gauteng's premier, Joburg's mayor, and the city council?" he asked.
Msimanga has demanded an explanation from Ramaphosa on how he will proceed with his working group to fix Joburg as there are legal requirements he and his executives need to follow, mainly contained in sections 100 and 139 of the country’s Constitution.
"It is important that the constitutional prescripts are complied with. Otherwise, the decisions taken and implemented may be unlawful, and the taxpayers’ monies become irregular expenditure," he warned.
According to the DA, the party is also concerned that Ramaphosa will pick his working group or task team unilaterally.
"Such a task team should be appointed to address the major challenges. Therefore, define what must be done before identifying those fit-for-purpose appointments to the task team. Importantly, consult. Consultation is crucial if there is to be buy-in from the parties," said Msimanga.
He called for consultations between the Presidency, the relevant ministers and/or MECs, and political parties, especially those in the government of national unity.
In addition, he said Ramaphosa can use his persuasive authority to convene a group of people who then make recommendations to the council but cannot assume control or dictate decisions.
"If the working group devises a rescue plan, then it can be included in a report with recommendations to the city council," Msimanga explained.
He also warned that the political party from which the mayor belongs can terminate his/her membership if there is a refusal to carry out the recommendations of whatever working group or task team put together by the president, which would trigger re-election of a new mayor and mayoral committee.
Last month, Ramaphosa announced that the establishment of the eThekwini Presidential Working Group in 2024 was supported by local stakeholders including businesses, civil society, national and provincial government as well as labour in the district development model style.
The Johannesburg Presidential Working Group will operate in the same manner and it is hoped that it will lead to the turnaround of the country’s ailing economic hub.