The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) regards the Tshwane Metro’s recent announcement of a R26 billion tourism plan as an economic pipe dream that is completely out of touch with the fiscal reality of the capital.
Promising 80 000 new jobs by 2029 while the Metro’s basic assets and infrastructure are collapsing is nothing short of unrealistic political opportunism.
The proposed Tshwane Economic Revitalisation Strategy relies heavily on public-private partnerships (PPPs) for the development of municipal properties, including sports facilities, reserves and heritage sites.
The Freedom Front Plus has serious misgivings about the feasibility and underlying risks of this Strategy:
- Neglect of current assets: It is irresponsible to project large-scale tourism growth while the Metro cannot even maintain its existing assets. Sports stadiums and museums are already dilapidated due to years of neglect. Without a solid foundation of basic routine maintenance, no private investor will take the risk of investing in the area.
- Risks related to the alienation of assets: The plan provides for the large-scale transfer of strategic city properties, such as the Tshwane Events Centre and Pilditch Stadium, to private developers. Without strict oversight and independent valuations, the Metro runs the risk of alienating irreplaceable public assets at a fraction of their actual value.
- Fiscal exposure for ratepayers: Instead of the private sector carrying the full financial risk, the proposed long-term contracts often create unforeseen financial obligations for the Municipality. In the current economic climate, Tshwane cannot afford to use ratepayers’ money as surety for high-risk projects.
The Freedom Front Plus warns that repeating past mistakes under the guise of “economic development” will be disastrous for the Metro’s finances.
Actual economic growth stems from reliable basic services and transparent governance, not from unrealistic billion-rand promises that are not backed by a sound budget.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep insisting on a development strategy based on fiscal discipline, transparency and safeguarding the Metro’s assets for the benefit of all its residents.
Freedom Front Plus Ideology: The party promotes Afrikaner nationalism and self-determination for minority groups.
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