'No catering, free lunches are over': DA mayor cuts spending in Tshwane

There will be no more free lunches as a new DA mayor takes charge of the city of Tshwane, its finances decimated in the past seven months under ANC-appointed administrators.

Randall Williams, who was elected on Friday, has ordered all city staff to get to work immediately while cutting spending on consultants.

He announced members of his mayoral committee on Thursday.

“Aside from staff with serious medical conditions and co-morbidities I want all city of Tshwane staff at their offices serving the residents of this city,” said Williams.

“All senior managers will be responsible for making sure their staff are at work, accounted for and doing their duties. It is time to get the capital city back to work.”

Williams said he intended squeezing every cent of savings out of the city to restore its financial stability.

He had expressed shock on Tuesday at how the capital city’s finances were eroded while under administration since March.

He said that in three months between April and June, the city went from having an operating surplus of R284m to being plunged into debt of more than R4.4bn.

Williams wants to significantly cut spending, starting with consultants and contracted services.

“Starting immediately I want spending on unnecessary items cut. Spending on catering in the city of Tshwane will cease. Free lunches are over,” he said.

“No matter the length of the meeting or the formality of the engagement, the city will not be purchasing food. Events and conferences will have their budgets reduced and channelled to core service delivery.”

International travel will also be restricted under his reign and those wishing to travel abroad will have to have find external funding.

Spending on stationery and printing will be “tightly controlled, so only core and necessary items” are procured.

Williams appointed:

• Mpho Mehlape-Zulu as MMC for housing and human settlements;
• Sylvester Phokoje as MMC for corporate and shared services;
• Thabisile Vilakazi as MMC community and social development;
• Karen Meyer as MMC for community safety;
• Sakkie du Plooy as MMC for health;
• Mare-Lise Fourie as MMC for finance;
• Phillip Nel as MMC for utilities services and regional operations and co-ordination;
• Dana Wannenburg as MMC for environment and agriculture management;
• Bruce Lee as MMC for economic development and spatial planning; and
• Dikeledi Selowa as MMC for roads and transport.

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