Our president instructed every municipality in the country to start a women's safety audit "without delay".
As positive as his instructions may sound for Nelson Mandela Bay, does it make sense to let the audit depend on the same ANC/EFF coalition that let our streets go dark in the first place?
People in ward 13 don't need an audit to tell them where the danger is.
We already know the dark streets where streetlights have been off for numerous years.
We know the overgrown open land next to Van Duuren Street and Springboks Street, where numerous corpses have been found and where gunmen retreat after shooting at rivals.
We know the treacherous walk home from the bus and taxi stops on Kobus Road at night.
We know the taverns and shebeens that trade all night, some of them opposite schools and between homes.
If the ANC/EFF coalition prioritised fixing our metro, like they are passionate about cadre deployment and fighting over positions, the Bay would be much safer.
A coalition that still had a backlog of 15,000 streetlights in May this year won't meet the president’s 60-day deadline.
Let the ward committees, neighbourhood watches, churches, NGOs, and ordinary citizens who know these streets do the audit in partnership with the municipality.
Keep residents informed about what was reported, what has been fixed, what is still outstanding, and when we can expect results. Be accountable to residents!
Spend less on perks and gala dinners, and then replacing streetlight bulbs, cutting grass and trees, and clearing rubble won’t take 90 days.
It needs political will that puts our community's safety first.
Let metro police, SAPS, and the Eastern Cape Liquor Board shut down unlicensed taverns and shebeens that trade outside their licensed hours. No one should be protected because of who they know.
The president set the deadlines, but who will actually meet them?
Under the ANC/EFF coalition, you will get more excuses, more scapegoats, and more delays.
Only a DA government will get Nelson Mandela Bay working again.
In the meantime, our women deserve to be safe.
They should be seen and not hurt.
Justin A. Oliphant, Ward 13 DA councillor candidate