Durban - Leader of the African Democratic Change (ADeC) and mayoral candidate for the eThekwini Municipality, Visvin Reddy said on Wednesday that if the party won the coming local government elections in November, it would bring jobs, safer communities and an efficient utility billing system to Durban residents.
Reddy was speaking at ADeC’s manifesto launch in Durban. He said the political landscape of South Africa needed change, where politicians were replaced with activists.
He said his return to the political arena was because politicians “have simply failed its people”, referencing the meagre monthly grant given to pensioners and the failure of the current water and electricity billing system in eThekwini.
The former DA member, who was elected as the national leader of ADeC just over two years ago, said he was encouraged by the level of support the party had been getting.
“We are not a racial political movement. We are a political party that seeks change for everybody. And the past few episodes that we experienced has taught us that the people we elect must be of sound mind.
“So in Durban, the first thing we are going to do is to stop these illegal connections. Illegal connections must be a thing of the past in Durban. The next thing Durban needs is R8 billion to repair the ageing infrastructure like water pipes. Our people are inconvenienced with these water cuts,” Reddy said.
He questioned the city’s motive behind allocating R160 million to uShaka Marine World amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, saying that the money could have gone into the city’s coffers to fix the broken pipes and other infrastructure.
“You are paying for the wastage and the mismanagement in Durban and we are going to stop that. So we are saying stop the DA, stop the ANC and vote ADeC.”
POLITICAL BUREAU