CAPE TOWN, Western Cape — The ANC Western Cape is calling for a comprehensive Auditor-General investigation into the City of Cape Town, arguing that a newly released Public Protector report on local service delivery failures only exposes a fraction of the municipal governance crisis.
The investigative findings, which were tabled earlier this week, outline severe shortcomings in basic municipal service provision across historically marginalized areas, specifically highlighting Langa and Khayelitsha. According to the Public Protector, the municipality has failed to properly maintain critical sewer infrastructure. The report specifically points to ongoing structural defects at the Langa Flats, including cracked walls in housing units. Furthermore, neglected and untidy common areas were cited as a direct violation of Section 24 of the Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to an environment that is not detrimental to their health or well-being.
Speaking to the media from the party’s provincial headquarters, ANC Western Cape spokespersons contended that the City of Cape Town is fundamentally incapable of managing its own administrative affairs. The party representatives asserted that the findings validate long-standing claims that the Democratic Alliance (DA)-led municipal and provincial governments neglect the working class and the poor.
“The Public Protector confirmed what we have always said: the DA government in the city and the province does not care for the poor and the working class,” the spokespersons stated. They added that the situation underscores a persistent “tale of two cities” and points to an organization that is delinquent in its constitutional duties.
Beyond the infrastructure decay, the ANC is pushing for the Auditor-General to dig deeper into the city’s financial management. The party’s representatives suggested that a more rigorous audit could uncover further administrative misconduct.
“If the agent could have scratched deeper, we might have found more shenanigans… in the City of Cape Town,” the spokespersons remarked. They further proposed that the National Treasury should consider withholding certain financial allocations from the municipality. To support this stance, the ANC recalled a previous incident where the City of Cape Town returned funds that had been specifically earmarked for informal settlement upgrades.
Concluding their press briefing, the ANC Western Cape leadership issued a direct demand to the municipal authority, urging the City of Cape Town to fulfill its mandate and ensure that basic services are equitably respected and delivered to all communities across the metropole.