In a stark assessment of local government corruption, Tshwane Executive Mayor Dr. Nasiphi Moya has stated that municipalities across South Africa have been turned into a “mafia state,” where senior officials operate without accountability. The mayor’s comments came during a wide-ranging interview focused on her administration’s new public safety initiatives.
Mayor Moya made the analogy while reflecting on the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into allegations of misconduct at the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association, known as the Madlanga Commission. She suggested a similar investigative body is needed for local government.
“Every time I watch the Madlanga Commission… I thought, you know, we’re going to need a commission for local government,” Mayor Moya stated. “The sphere that is supposed to be delivering has been turned into a mafia state. That’s how municipalities are. It’s a mafia state where you have senior officials getting away with such things and not having much accountability.”
Her remarks underscored the challenges faced by her administration as it attempts to steer the capital city toward recovery. “This city was on its knees,” she said, referencing Tshwane’s recent financial and governance crises. “Imagine collapsing a city that’s responsible for over 4 million people.”
New Public Safety Report Shows Enforcement Actions
The interview primarily served to detail the city’s first quarterly Public Safety Report, a new transparency measure covering June to October of this year. The data, presented by the mayor, indicates aggressive enforcement actions by the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD).
Key statistics from the report include:
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Over 1,100 metro police operations conducted.
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813 arrests for drunk driving.
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Responses to 200 land invasion incidents.
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Demolition of more than 2,300 illegal structures.
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57 operations targeting cable theft syndicates.
Targeted Areas and Strategic Shifts
Mayor Moya identified several communities as priority areas for safety interventions, including Soshanguve, Attridgeville, and areas in Mamelodi and Eersterust plagued by gender-based violence and extortion cases. She acknowledged that police visibility remains a challenge in townships, with officers often concentrated on main roads rather than within communities.
To improve coordination, the mayor revealed she holds a weekly integrated “war room” every Friday morning with all city departments. The strategy aims to link law enforcement with other service delivery issues, such as fixing street lights, to comprehensively address safety.
“What we don’t want is to isolate law enforcement from other service delivery matters,” she explained.
Reclaiming the City and Hijacked Buildings
The mayor also provided an update on the “Reclaim Our City” program launched in January, which targets derelict and hijacked buildings in the decaying central business district. A dedicated bad buildings subcommittee has identified unlawfully occupied properties.
To date, the city has reclaimed eight of its own buildings and is putting them out to the market for redevelopment into student accommodation, social housing, or offices. In a decisive move in Pretoria West, the city demolished problematic buildings to prevent future occupation claims and clear the way for developers.
A major focus is the revitalization of the Pretoria Showgrounds, a once-vibrant events hub that has become a white elephant. Mayor Moya stated a tender is currently out, seeking a private partner to develop the site into a mixed-use convention center precinct linked to agriculture and manufacturing.
An Optimistic Outlook Amidst Contestation
When asked to describe her tenure amid political criticism, Mayor Moya struck a note of determined optimism. “I made sure that I show up every day for the residents of Tshwane,” she said. “I just go to the basics. What is it that they need?”
She emphasized holding officials accountable while also sharing positive developments with the public to counter disillusionment. Her final plea, drawn from the lessons of state capture and the Madlanga Commission, was a call for action to prevent the repetition of graft and mismanagement that has crippled local government.