Tshwane Finance MMC Criticized for Managing Municipal Affairs via Social Media

The City of Tshwane’s MMC for Finance, Jacqui Uys, is under fire from the Laudium Atteridgeville Saulsville Civics Association (Lasca) for allegedly prioritizing social media over direct community engagement in managing municipal affairs. The association has accused Uys of neglecting face-to-face interactions with residents, opting instead to handle significant city matters through online platforms.

Social Media vs. Community Engagement: The criticism from Lasca comes after Uys took to social media to announce the success of a municipal finance outreach programme that reportedly assisted 6,206 residents with various municipal account issues from February to July 2024. According to Uys, the programme helped resolve 1,811 indigent support applications and addressed 3,537 billing queries across Tshwane’s townships and suburban areas.

However, Lasca’s chairperson, Tshepo Mahlangu, argues that Uys’s reliance on social media to communicate these developments is a way to sidestep direct accountability to the community. Mahlangu accused Uys of avoiding community meetings and criticized the outreach programme as a means to coerce residents into avoiding electricity disconnections rather than addressing their concerns genuinely.

Community Meetings and Outreach Efforts: Despite these accusations, Uys maintained that her approach has been transparent and community-focused. She highlighted that the outreach programme was not limited to social media but was supported by six public meetings. These meetings were part of the broader Tshwane Ya Tima revenue-collection campaign, where she and municipal finance officials engaged with residents directly to address their concerns.

Uys explained that the Tshwane Ya Tima campaign, which was relaunched in February 2024, initially focused on disconnecting services for those with high unpaid utility bills. However, it has since evolved to address all debtors, aiming to maximize revenue collection for the city. Uys emphasized that the campaign is not just punitive but a collaborative effort between the city, residents, and businesses to ensure accurate billing and better management of municipal accounts.

Lasca’s Stance and Criticism: Mahlangu, however, remained unconvinced, labeling the Tshwane Ya Tima campaign as “illegal” due to its reliance on estimated municipal bills, which he claims are inaccurate. He further accused Uys and her coalition government of arrogance and mismanagement, calling for the scrapping of all estimated arrears.

Conclusion: The tension between Uys and Lasca reflects broader frustrations within the community about how municipal affairs are being managed in Tshwane. While Uys defends her approach as effective and inclusive, critics like Mahlangu believe that more direct, in-person engagement is necessary to address the city’s pressing issues adequately.