ActionSA leader and eThekwini mayoral candidate Zwakele Mncwango says he will prioritise building an “ethical government” to ensure that the municipality delivers on its mandate.
Mncwango outlined his key priorities should he be elected mayor of the city after the November 4 local government elections.
The plans include building a capable local government, boosting economic activity and fighting crime.
He said unethical leadership had allowed corrupt activities to fester, undermining economic growth and opportunities in eThekwini.
“We have allowed the abnormal to become normal. It is now expected that, if you want a job in the city or the Metro Police, you have to pay someone. If you are a woman, you have to sleep with someone.
“We have normalised the abnormal, and that is what we need to start addressing. We must build an ethical and transparent government that is trusted by the people.”
He said that, to ensure ethical governance, ActionSA would promote lifestyle audits for city officials and ensure that those in the wrong faced consequences.
“Once officials see that you are serious and that there are harsh sanctions for those on the wrong side of the law, they will change. There are many good officials, so we need to change the culture.”
On economic growth, he said investment in the city was often hindered by red tape, which was frequently linked to corruption. He alleged that city officials sometimes delayed projects or payments to service providers in order to extort money from them.
“There are always complaints that someone needs to be paid in order for plans to be approved,” he said.
“We need to ensure that there is no red tape. If people are encouraged to invest in the city, that will create jobs and benefit the municipality.
“Most of the people who create red tape want bribes. Once you conduct lifestyle audits, you can resolve this issue. For example, you could find someone in the supply chain department who has been there for 15 years. They may not apply for senior positions but may have received kickbacks simply to approve the involvement of certain people.”
Mncwango said another priority would be fighting crime. He said the city should pass by-laws giving the eThekwini Metro Police greater powers to work with the South African Police Service (SAPS).
He said metro police should be able to deal with crime in areas known to be affected by criminality and that their role should extend beyond issuing traffic fines.
“We want to invest in technology that will help us deal decisively with crime,” he said.
“We have metro police, but they seem to focus mainly on issuing fines. We want to extend their powers through by-laws. It cannot be that we hear someone is selling drugs in a building or that someone has hijacked a building, but metro police cannot act and must rely on SAPS every time.”