The EFF aims to create thousands of jobs while improving service delivery should it take over the ailing JB Marks municipality.
EFF ward councillor Barnard Kaister said the party planned to decrease unemployment rate by lending support to local small businesses and push to have extended public works programme (EPWP) workers to be given permanent contracts.
“These people work in the municipality everyday because they do a crucial job and they add value,” Kaister said.
He said the EFF wanted to provide free office space to local small businesses doing business with the municipality. “We will also kick-start factories which are no longer operational... That's how we are going to create jobs,” he told Sowetan.
Kaister said when EFF president Julius Malema launched the manifesto, “he made it very clear that every problem of water and sanitation in municipalities will be (solved) in six months”.
“The first thing in fixing everything is that we will cancel the debts that households owe the municipality and give them a proper service delivery. Roads and infrastructure will be dealt with. We cannot continue using roads that have potholes while we are in government. That will be done within a year.
EFF has five councillors in JB Marks municipality out of a total 64 councillors. Regarding clean governance, Kaister said the party would elect councillors who do not have criminal records or have been accused of corruption.
Kaister also touched on the land question, saying the party would push for land audits in municipalities it controls. “We would like to know the amount of land owned by municipalities and the status of those pieces of land,” he said.
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