DA demands full disclosure of Schröder Street name change costs
· The South African
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on the Dawid Kruiper Municipality to disclose how much public money has been spent on the controversial renaming of Schröder Street while a criminal fraud investigation involving Executive Mayor David Kazi remains under way.
The party argues that taxpayers deserve full transparency as South African Police Service (SAPS) investigators continue probing allegations surrounding the petition used to justify the street name change.
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Fraud allegations under investigation
According to the DA, the police investigation stems from allegations that the ANC submitted a fraudulent petition supporting the renaming of Schröder Street to Alfred Qayiso Gubela Street.
The party claims the petition contained manipulated information taken from DA petition forms, as well as the name of a deceased DA member.
Despite these allegations, the municipality proceeded with the name change based on a petition containing 1 317 signatures, the DA said, while rejecting its own petition of 7 055 residents who opposed the proposal.
The DA said it welcomed what it described as recent progress in the investigation after making enquiries about the case and the resurfacing of the police docket.
Concerns over public spending
The opposition party said it is deeply concerned that the municipality has continued spending public funds on implementing the name change while the legality of the process remains under criminal investigation.
According to the DA, some road curb markings have already been repainted with the new street name, several new street signs have been erected and municipal funds were also used for the Heritage Day launch of the renamed street earlier this year.
The party warned that if the investigation ultimately finds wrongdoing in the process, taxpayers could end up footing the bill for a project that should not have proceeded.
DA seeks full cost breakdown
The DA is demanding that the municipality provide council with a detailed breakdown of all expenditure related to the project, including:
- Street signage
- Road markings
- Launch events
- Administrative costs
- Any other expenditure linked to the renaming process
The party maintains that the street name change was politically motivated and pushed through despite significant public opposition.
“The people of Upington deserve a municipality that puts responsible governance ahead of political agendas,” the DA said.
It added that it would continue to hold those responsible accountable while ensuring residents know how public funds have been spent.
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