00:00:01
Speaker 1: Your community. Your concerns. Your voice. Follow every moment of the local government elections on 702-CAKE-TALK and EWN.co.za.
00:00:14
Speaker 2: Right, let's continue with looking at what different political parties are offering voters ahead of the local government elections. Today, we focus on the ACDP, the African Christian Democratic Party, and we're joined now by that party's mayoral candidate for the city of Johannesburg, Bishop Dalton Adams. Welcome, and thanks very much for giving us your time.
00:00:36
Speaker 3: Good afternoon, John Bowman, and also your listeners. It's nice to be on 702 this afternoon, sir. So....
00:00:43
Speaker 2: A lot of parties, and indeed this is where government policy is heading, talk about ring-fencing revenue from water and electricity provision, the money that people are paying for either of those two services or both, and channeling that towards ensuring infrastructure development and maintenance. The ACDP is a little more circumspect about that, and I'm keen to know why. Because first of all, you say we're practicable. suggesting that sometimes it isn't. And secondly, you talk about sufficient revenue. Help us understand that better. Have you defined what sufficient revenue would be? Because my understanding is we'll never have enough for the maintenance. But secondly, how do you determine if it's practical or not?
00:01:29
Speaker 3: Yeah. Thank you so much, John, for the opportunity. Let me firstly appreciate and welcome the sentence that the two policemen that killed Nathaniel Julius They were found guilty in the courts today and they will be sentenced later. I was actually the pastor that buried Nathaniel Julius that fateful time and that Saturday when he died. So coming back to your question, Sean, I think it's important that the ACDP says we're practical. It means that, you know, sometimes it is difficult to ring fence everything. Like, for instance, your water and your... your electricity, and pick it up for refuse. Because the challenge is the billing system is not always right. Billing system is not right, so whatever comes in might not always be the correct revenue that is collected. But we do say that, you know, we do agree that it must be re-influenced, but also we must fix. the revenue streams coming into the city and the billing system must also be right for us to totally re-fence what the question asks, John.
00:02:46
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I'm not sure how you wait for the one to be right before you implement the other because both, it would seem, would need fixing.
00:02:54
Speaker 1: Let's talk specifically, more specifically about water.
00:02:58
Speaker 2: Bishop Adams, you say, encourage private sector investment through financing options.
00:03:04
Speaker 1: What are those options and how would they work?
00:03:07
Speaker 3: Well, we can see, you know, the city is hemorrhaging. The city is struggling. Joburg water cannot cope. Rand water cannot cope. The money is owed between the two entities is a major challenge for the citizens of Johannesburg. We believe that you need to get in some companies to assist, not fully privatizing, let me mention that, water and electricity and those kind of entities. but having help. You see, the challenge is that we have left and abdicated the responsibility over to the administration and the government to make things work, and everybody else has been just spectators. I think the time has come in this administration that everybody needs to take hands together to see how we can actually rebuild the city of Johannesburg.
00:03:56
Speaker 2: But Bishop Adams, you, with respect, are describing the problem. You, in your manifesto, allude to a solution, but it would seem you haven't worked out what those financing options are.
00:04:08
Speaker 1: Is that the case?
00:04:09
Speaker 2: Is it a general idea that you have, but when it comes down to specifics, the work is still to be done?
00:04:16
Speaker 1: No, definitely.
00:04:17
Speaker 3: Definitely. Look, a lot of work is still to be done, John. I think we are in the season of campaigning and electioneering. One cannot fully, you know, preempt what will happen. And it's very critically important that we engage the citizens of the city of Johannesburg. And that has been the problem in the city of Joburg is that there's been a top-down approach and not a bottom-up approach. And we need to change and flip the pyramid in the city of Johannesburg, John.
00:04:48
Speaker 2: But it seems to me when you put yourselves up for election, it's because you believe you have answers. Now, certainly in your manifesto, you list substantially all the different problems we face.
00:05:01
Speaker 1: You allude to certain solutions.
00:05:04
Speaker 2: But are you saying that actually before you, let's say you come into either a significant position in a coalition or better than that, that when you get in, you then get to embark on a process of consultation before you actually have a policy?
00:05:18
Speaker 3: And that's exactly the challenge that we have, is that you have manifestos and plans. But when you get to the coalition, there's other parties also there. So one has to bother, one has to give and take in terms of what is it that we as a coalition will be able to put together. So we will put our stance and our position and we will then formulate that which is better and best for the citizens of Johannesburg.
00:05:42
Speaker 2: But, I mean, for example, let's take the scenario you've just outlined, Bishop Adams.
00:05:46
Speaker 1: You go into a coalition.
00:05:48
Speaker 2: You say you're going to set down your positions. Let's say you want to really hammer into shape a policy on water, and I'm just staying with that as an example because that's where we started. How do you push for your position on private sector involvement if you actually don't have one other than you think it would be a good thing?
00:06:09
Speaker 3: No, I mean, one doesn't. This is not what we call a glass that you can see through at the moment. I think one has to engage after the election in terms of what is going to be best for the citizens of Johannesburg. And one cannot preempt. And that's what we are saying as the ACDP, that we believe that we need to get help from private sector. But we are also saying, as I said earlier on, we cannot have it fully privatized. because we're going to make sure that the city and the administration still remains fully in control of the state and the resources that is available to us. So we are saying that, you know, we want to speak, we want to engage and speak to the people of the city of Joburg and then, you know, see what companies understand the plan that we have for water in the city of Johannesburg.
00:07:06
Speaker 2: I want to engage with you then on some of the financial stuff that you're setting out. And again, it seems to be quite general in nature. You want to ensure that municipal structures and systems are optimized to best serve our districts, municipalities, and metros. It's obviously a good intention, but it's very unspecific. I mean, what for you would be key to that optimization?
00:07:33
Speaker 3: For us, as the ACDP, for an optimization plan, John, we need to make sure that the finances that come into the city from the grant, from the province, and also the revenue that comes in and that we generate, one has to make sure that that money is spent correctly and optimize it optimally for our people and make sure that it is not diverted. and it doesn't end up with fruitless and wasteful expenditure, and the money that is earmarked for what it is supposed to be done must be optimized in that nature, John. How?
00:08:10
Speaker 1: How will you do that?
00:08:12
Speaker 3: So it's important for us, John, to say that we, I said earlier on that we agree that money must be earmarked, and some people call it ring fencing. We agree, I'd say 90% on ring fencing, but we're also saying that when we sit around the table... We must make sure the administration that is there must make sure that the money is given for the things that it's supposed to be used for.
00:08:40
Speaker 2: Thank you so much, Bishop Dalton Adams, the ACDP's mayoral candidate for the city of Johannesburg. We'll do this again next week. We've covered five parties this week. We'll go again from Monday. We're still to hear from the MK Party, from the Patriotic Alliance from the EFF, the ANC, and some others besides. 25 minutes past four. We thank Bishop Adams for his time.
Speaker 1: Your community. Your concerns. Your voice. Follow every moment of the local government elections on 702-CAKE-TALK and EWN.co.za.
00:00:14
Speaker 2: Right, let's continue with looking at what different political parties are offering voters ahead of the local government elections. Today, we focus on the ACDP, the African Christian Democratic Party, and we're joined now by that party's mayoral candidate for the city of Johannesburg, Bishop Dalton Adams. Welcome, and thanks very much for giving us your time.
00:00:36
Speaker 3: Good afternoon, John Bowman, and also your listeners. It's nice to be on 702 this afternoon, sir. So....
00:00:43
Speaker 2: A lot of parties, and indeed this is where government policy is heading, talk about ring-fencing revenue from water and electricity provision, the money that people are paying for either of those two services or both, and channeling that towards ensuring infrastructure development and maintenance. The ACDP is a little more circumspect about that, and I'm keen to know why. Because first of all, you say we're practicable. suggesting that sometimes it isn't. And secondly, you talk about sufficient revenue. Help us understand that better. Have you defined what sufficient revenue would be? Because my understanding is we'll never have enough for the maintenance. But secondly, how do you determine if it's practical or not?
00:01:29
Speaker 3: Yeah. Thank you so much, John, for the opportunity. Let me firstly appreciate and welcome the sentence that the two policemen that killed Nathaniel Julius They were found guilty in the courts today and they will be sentenced later. I was actually the pastor that buried Nathaniel Julius that fateful time and that Saturday when he died. So coming back to your question, Sean, I think it's important that the ACDP says we're practical. It means that, you know, sometimes it is difficult to ring fence everything. Like, for instance, your water and your... your electricity, and pick it up for refuse. Because the challenge is the billing system is not always right. Billing system is not right, so whatever comes in might not always be the correct revenue that is collected. But we do say that, you know, we do agree that it must be re-influenced, but also we must fix. the revenue streams coming into the city and the billing system must also be right for us to totally re-fence what the question asks, John.
00:02:46
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I'm not sure how you wait for the one to be right before you implement the other because both, it would seem, would need fixing.
00:02:54
Speaker 1: Let's talk specifically, more specifically about water.
00:02:58
Speaker 2: Bishop Adams, you say, encourage private sector investment through financing options.
00:03:04
Speaker 1: What are those options and how would they work?
00:03:07
Speaker 3: Well, we can see, you know, the city is hemorrhaging. The city is struggling. Joburg water cannot cope. Rand water cannot cope. The money is owed between the two entities is a major challenge for the citizens of Johannesburg. We believe that you need to get in some companies to assist, not fully privatizing, let me mention that, water and electricity and those kind of entities. but having help. You see, the challenge is that we have left and abdicated the responsibility over to the administration and the government to make things work, and everybody else has been just spectators. I think the time has come in this administration that everybody needs to take hands together to see how we can actually rebuild the city of Johannesburg.
00:03:56
Speaker 2: But Bishop Adams, you, with respect, are describing the problem. You, in your manifesto, allude to a solution, but it would seem you haven't worked out what those financing options are.
00:04:08
Speaker 1: Is that the case?
00:04:09
Speaker 2: Is it a general idea that you have, but when it comes down to specifics, the work is still to be done?
00:04:16
Speaker 1: No, definitely.
00:04:17
Speaker 3: Definitely. Look, a lot of work is still to be done, John. I think we are in the season of campaigning and electioneering. One cannot fully, you know, preempt what will happen. And it's very critically important that we engage the citizens of the city of Johannesburg. And that has been the problem in the city of Joburg is that there's been a top-down approach and not a bottom-up approach. And we need to change and flip the pyramid in the city of Johannesburg, John.
00:04:48
Speaker 2: But it seems to me when you put yourselves up for election, it's because you believe you have answers. Now, certainly in your manifesto, you list substantially all the different problems we face.
00:05:01
Speaker 1: You allude to certain solutions.
00:05:04
Speaker 2: But are you saying that actually before you, let's say you come into either a significant position in a coalition or better than that, that when you get in, you then get to embark on a process of consultation before you actually have a policy?
00:05:18
Speaker 3: And that's exactly the challenge that we have, is that you have manifestos and plans. But when you get to the coalition, there's other parties also there. So one has to bother, one has to give and take in terms of what is it that we as a coalition will be able to put together. So we will put our stance and our position and we will then formulate that which is better and best for the citizens of Johannesburg.
00:05:42
Speaker 2: But, I mean, for example, let's take the scenario you've just outlined, Bishop Adams.
00:05:46
Speaker 1: You go into a coalition.
00:05:48
Speaker 2: You say you're going to set down your positions. Let's say you want to really hammer into shape a policy on water, and I'm just staying with that as an example because that's where we started. How do you push for your position on private sector involvement if you actually don't have one other than you think it would be a good thing?
00:06:09
Speaker 3: No, I mean, one doesn't. This is not what we call a glass that you can see through at the moment. I think one has to engage after the election in terms of what is going to be best for the citizens of Johannesburg. And one cannot preempt. And that's what we are saying as the ACDP, that we believe that we need to get help from private sector. But we are also saying, as I said earlier on, we cannot have it fully privatized. because we're going to make sure that the city and the administration still remains fully in control of the state and the resources that is available to us. So we are saying that, you know, we want to speak, we want to engage and speak to the people of the city of Joburg and then, you know, see what companies understand the plan that we have for water in the city of Johannesburg.
00:07:06
Speaker 2: I want to engage with you then on some of the financial stuff that you're setting out. And again, it seems to be quite general in nature. You want to ensure that municipal structures and systems are optimized to best serve our districts, municipalities, and metros. It's obviously a good intention, but it's very unspecific. I mean, what for you would be key to that optimization?
00:07:33
Speaker 3: For us, as the ACDP, for an optimization plan, John, we need to make sure that the finances that come into the city from the grant, from the province, and also the revenue that comes in and that we generate, one has to make sure that that money is spent correctly and optimize it optimally for our people and make sure that it is not diverted. and it doesn't end up with fruitless and wasteful expenditure, and the money that is earmarked for what it is supposed to be done must be optimized in that nature, John. How?
00:08:10
Speaker 1: How will you do that?
00:08:12
Speaker 3: So it's important for us, John, to say that we, I said earlier on that we agree that money must be earmarked, and some people call it ring fencing. We agree, I'd say 90% on ring fencing, but we're also saying that when we sit around the table... We must make sure the administration that is there must make sure that the money is given for the things that it's supposed to be used for.
00:08:40
Speaker 2: Thank you so much, Bishop Dalton Adams, the ACDP's mayoral candidate for the city of Johannesburg. We'll do this again next week. We've covered five parties this week. We'll go again from Monday. We're still to hear from the MK Party, from the Patriotic Alliance from the EFF, the ANC, and some others besides. 25 minutes past four. We thank Bishop Adams for his time.
