The Democratic Alliance has accused the Johannesburg City Council of refusing to be transparent about the contentious 1996/1997 housing list.
On Thursday‚ the ANC used its majority in the Council to vote against a DA motion calling for the updated list and explanations to be published‚ the DA says.
The motion‚ proposed by DA Councillor Martin Williams‚ and seconded by DA Housing SMMC Sipho Ndlela‚ calls for the full verified 1996/7 list to be made available at all relevant municipal regional offices and People’s Centres‚ and on the City’s website‚ as soon as possible.
In addition‚ the motion says: “Each such copy of the full verified 1996/7 list‚ when displayed‚ shall be accompanied by a brief‚ clear‚ unambiguous explanation of the criteria used in determining applicants’ rankings”.
Addressing the Council on Thursday‚ Williams said that councillors in Johannesburg’s poorer areas were inundated with complaints from residents who wanted to know what was happening about the 1996/1997 list.
“They don’t know where they are on the list‚ whether their names have been removed‚ or moved up or down. Some claim their details have been captured incorrectly or changed for dubious reasons. Some call it corruption‚” he stated.
Noting that a list verification process was under way‚ Williams said the process must be expedited and the results made freely available.
“People would be more satisfied if they at least knew the system was fair‚ that there was a rational‚ fair explanation for their place on the list.”
Williams quoted former president Nelson Mandela as being in favour of transparency in the allocation of housing.
Mandela had told a 1995 UN conference: “Housing is not neutral. Our own country has in the past known only too well how the provision and non-provision of housing can be used as a form of social and political control.”
Williams said such accusations were now being made against the ANC – that some people were using housing as a form of social and political control. The message has been: “You want a house‚ pay me. And vote for my party”.
In rejecting the motion on behalf of the ANC‚ MMC Matshidiso Mfikoe said the council had already resolved that the lists would be made public.
Williams said Mfikoe missed the whole point about transparency. People needed to know what criteria were applied.
To simply publish lists without explanation would not solve the unhappiness.
People needed to know why their names had been moved up or down‚ or been removed. They also needed assurances that their information had been correctly captured.
He predicted further trouble if the City failed to be transparent about the housing list.
Joburg Council refuses to be transparent about housing list: DA
The Democratic Alliance has accused the Johannesburg City Council of refusing to be transparent about the contentious 1996/1997 housing list.
On Thursday‚ the ANC used its majority in the Council to vote against a DA motion calling for the updated list and explanations to be published‚ the DA says.
The motion‚ proposed by DA Councillor Martin Williams‚ and seconded by DA Housing SMMC Sipho Ndlela‚ calls for the full verified 1996/7 list to be made available at all relevant municipal regional offices and People’s Centres‚ and on the City’s website‚ as soon as possible.
In addition‚ the motion says: “Each such copy of the full verified 1996/7 list‚ when displayed‚ shall be accompanied by a brief‚ clear‚ unambiguous explanation of the criteria used in determining applicants’ rankings”.
Addressing the Council on Thursday‚ Williams said that councillors in Johannesburg’s poorer areas were inundated with complaints from residents who wanted to know what was happening about the 1996/1997 list.
“They don’t know where they are on the list‚ whether their names have been removed‚ or moved up or down. Some claim their details have been captured incorrectly or changed for dubious reasons. Some call it corruption‚” he stated.
Noting that a list verification process was under way‚ Williams said the process must be expedited and the results made freely available.
“People would be more satisfied if they at least knew the system was fair‚ that there was a rational‚ fair explanation for their place on the list.”
Williams quoted former president Nelson Mandela as being in favour of transparency in the allocation of housing.
Mandela had told a 1995 UN conference: “Housing is not neutral. Our own country has in the past known only too well how the provision and non-provision of housing can be used as a form of social and political control.”
Williams said such accusations were now being made against the ANC – that some people were using housing as a form of social and political control. The message has been: “You want a house‚ pay me. And vote for my party”.
In rejecting the motion on behalf of the ANC‚ MMC Matshidiso Mfikoe said the council had already resolved that the lists would be made public.
Williams said Mfikoe missed the whole point about transparency. People needed to know what criteria were applied.
To simply publish lists without explanation would not solve the unhappiness.
People needed to know why their names had been moved up or down‚ or been removed. They also needed assurances that their information had been correctly captured.
He predicted further trouble if the City failed to be transparent about the housing list.
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