Letters to the Editor

Dear Eitor Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s State of the Province Address (SOPA) failed to provide the leadership and direction needed to fix the Eastern Cape’s economic and service delivery crisis. If the direction is wrong, the budget in March cannot correct it. It is embarrassing when the Premier himself cannot accurately reflect the economy’s performance. The provincial economy grew a mere 0.1% in Q2 2024—far below the 2.1% he cited and nowhere near the targets needed for sustainable … [Read more...] about EC SOPA 2025 Fails to Deliver

Dear Editor The latest crime statistics, released on Friday, confirm what the people of the Eastern Cape already know: our province is under siege. Violent crime continues to shatter lives, drive businesses away, and kill jobs. There were 1,300 people murdered, and 2,341 sexual offences were recorded in just three months. That’s an average of 14 lives lost every single day. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on Premier Oscar Mabuyane to announce a zero-tolerance stance on crime in … [Read more...] about Crime Also Kills the Economy

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) has requested that the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) investigate the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality's refusal to publicly disclose river water quality results. This refusal is particularly concerning given reports that contamination levels have consistently exceeded prescribed limits, posing a health and safety hazard to residents. High levels of contamination in river water create significant health risks, especially to vulnerable … [Read more...] about NMB Refuses To Publicly Disclose River Water Quality Results

Dear Editor The Eastern Cape is buckling under a cost-of-living crisis. In a province where nearly one in two people are unemployed, many have lost hope of ever finding work. Instead of delivering solutions, the national government tried to push through a 2% VAT hike, a move that would have crippled families that are barely surviving. The Democratic Alliance took a stand and blocked the national budget, refusing to let ordinary South Africans pay for government failure, corruption, and … [Read more...] about SOPA Expectations: Jobs, Growth, and an end to government failure

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the mayor and acting city manager of the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality requesting that they immediately intervene after National Treasury warned that it intends to withhold hundreds of millions of Rands in crucial conditional grant funding from the metro. National Treasury has notified the acting city manager of its intention to withhold R262,5 million in grant funding. This decision is based on the municipality's poor performance … [Read more...] about Plan requested to prevent NMB from losing millions in grant funding

Dear Editor The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for Q4 2024, released by Statistics South Africa, shows that our province must harness the national growth and jobs agenda urgently. The unemployment rate remains stubbornly high, with an official rate of 36.6% and an expanded rate of 47.6%, placing immense pressure on families, businesses, and local economies. That 47.6% of working age people cannot find work, or have given up trying, is a crisis for our province. While … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape must harness national growth and jobs agenda

Dear Editor The ongoing failure of the Department of Public Works to manage infrastructure projects is costing the people of the Eastern Cape essential services and economic opportunities. Across the province, construction sites stand abandoned, projects remain incomplete, and public funds are wasted. The Education Infrastructure Grant, meant to fund school projects, is set to underspend by R74.114 million due to contractor terminations and procurement delays. These failures leave schools … [Read more...] about EC’s Abandoned Construction Sites and Incomplete Projects

Dear Editor Nelson Mandela Bay’s ANC-led coalition of corruption, with the help of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), has deprived two struggling wards in the Northern Areas and Kariega of almost R20 million. At today’s Council meeting, this coalition of non-service delivery approved a budget amendment that redirected this R20 million from capital projects in the communities of Booysen Park (Ward 29), McCarthy informal settlement, Afghanistan, and Allanridge (all in Ward 48) to their support … [Read more...] about We Will Fight To Fix What We Can – We Will Never Sell Out

Dear Editor Today is a day of relief as both 74-year-old Ebrahim Moosa, who was abducted yesterday, and the young girl who was abducted last week Tuesday, are now safely home. We share in the joy of their families and communities who have endured unimaginable fear and uncertainty following their abductions. I commend the dedicated work of the SAPS in safely recovering Mr Moosa and arresting three of the criminals responsible for his brazen kidnapping yesterday. Their swift action has … [Read more...] about Kidnapped businessman and young girl return home

Dear Editor In Njela village, near Port St. Johns, an elderly woman kneels at the edge of a murky dam, cupping water into a plastic container. She has no choice. This is her only drinking water, shared with cattle. Thirty-one years after democracy, this is the daily reality for rural villagers abandoned by the OR Tambo District Municipality. The Eastern Cape’s water crisis is worsening, with district municipalities repeatedly failing in their most basic duty - providing clean water. Last … [Read more...] about Villagers drink from livestock dam

Dear Editor Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape launched a public-driven initiative indlela ubomi, to expose and address the severe deterioration of road infrastructure in the province, following the findings of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) report. This report confirms what residents have known for years: the province’s road network is in a state of collapse, with only 9 per cent of roads paved—far below the national average of 25 per cent. At … [Read more...] about Indlela ubomi will hold the government to account

Dear Editor The 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA), delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa, placed a strong emphasis on economic growth, job creation, and service delivery. While these commitments are welcomed, the real test lies in implementation, especially for the Eastern Cape, which remains the most economically vulnerable province in South Africa. The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the President’s recognition of pro-growth and pro-jobs policies that align with DA-led … [Read more...] about SONA Reforms must deliver for the Eastern Cape

Hello everyone. The WESSA Algoa Bay Branch February 2025 alien clearing will be on this Saturday 08 February 2025 in Golf Road, Walmer from 09:00 – 11:00. We have been clearing this spot in the Baakens River Valley since November 2024 and it still needs a lot of work. We will again start from the straight stretch of Golf Road overlooking the valley. Access to this starting point will be easiest from either Short Road or 14th Avenue. Turn out of Short … [Read more...] about See You at Golf Road – Don’t Bring Clubs

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) has taken up the fight against slumlords in Nelson Mandela Bay by laying criminal charges against the infamous developer Ken Denton, who owns many decrepit buildings in Gqeberha’s inner city. Derelict buildings, specifically in Central, have become a haven for criminals dealing drugs and attacking and robbing residents and tourists. Many of these buildings, owned by Denton, have become dens of iniquity and have become major contributors to crime … [Read more...] about Ken Denton Declared Public Enemy Number 1