Dear MyPE Decisive action needs to be taken to end the upsurge of drinking in public, especially in recreational areas associated with beaches, in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM). It is not just about the broken bottles, litter and increased trauma cases, but about saving lives as Covid-19 regulations, along with the city’s by-laws, that are being flouted. A capable state would have a multi-pronged approach to address this, that would include public education … [Read more...] about Drinking in public chaos in BCM must be addressed
Letters to the Editor
Will President Ramaphosa finally choose to protect the people, the economy and our democracy?
Dear MyPE Tomorrow, in his State of the Nation Address, President Ramaphosa is going to have to show South Africans that he is in fact the man in charge, and not just another spectator to everything that is happening to our country. Three years into his presidency he is yet to display this kind of decisive leadership, but such is the urgency of our situation that he is going to have to discover his fortitude by tomorrow evening. We can’t afford an appeaser or a mediator for a president. We … [Read more...] about Will President Ramaphosa finally choose to protect the people, the economy and our democracy?
Mandatory above-inflation minimum wage increases will lead to job losses
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that the above-inflation minimum wage increases gazetted yesterday by the Minister of Employment and Labour will lead to further job losses at a time when unemployment is already rampant and rising. The National Minimum Wage (NMW) has been increased by 4.5%. The minimum wages for domestic workers and farm workers have been increased by 23% and 16% respectively. Few sectors will be able to absorb such steep increases at a time of serious … [Read more...] about Mandatory above-inflation minimum wage increases will lead to job losses
President shouldn’t extend state of disaster without Parliament’s approval
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to submit any possible extension of the national state of disaster to Parliament for approval and review. The present state of disaster comes to an end on Monday, 15 February, and South Africans are tired of accepting without question and debate the national government's decisions on how to curb the Covid-19 pandemic. After months of economically ruinous lockdown and the bungling of the Covid-19 vaccine, the … [Read more...] about President shouldn’t extend state of disaster without Parliament’s approval
Local government is collapsing
Dear MyPE Premier Oscar Mabuyane can no longer lament the state of collapsing local government in the Eastern Cape. He must stop wringing his hands and take firm action. On Thursday last week [4 February 2021] the Shadow MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Vicky Knoetze MPL, moved a motion in the provincial legislature's sitting, to force the hand of the province and take decisive action. Our challenge to the ANC – put your solutions on the table and we will put ours! … [Read more...] about Local government is collapsing
Jobs, environment not priorities for EC ANC
Dear MyPE The Eastern Cape ANC has made it abundantly clear that creating jobs and preserving the environmental integrity of the Eastern Cape is not a concern, after rejecting a DA motion to host a summit around job creation through the adoption of environmentally friendly alternatives. In rebuttal of the motion, ANC MPL and Chairperson of the Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism Portfolio Committee, Pumelele Ndamase, stated categorically that the ANC rejected the … [Read more...] about Jobs, environment not priorities for EC ANC
Have You Registered on the NMB Artist Database (Free)
Dear MyPE I hope and pray that you are keeping healthy and safe. The Nelson Mandela Bay Artist Database which we privately launched a few months ago, is growing steadily. https://www.facebook.com/groups/artistdatabase. We also post interesting art links, achievements of artists, creative industry events, meetings/workshops, various opportunities, grants & funding, discussions/debates/opinions, etc in our Facebook group. Please feel free to have a look at our formal data info … [Read more...] about Have You Registered on the NMB Artist Database (Free)
We must have ACTION against crooked cadres who stole R41 million from hungry families
Dear MyPE Last week, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) revealed that no fewer than 6 140 government officials fraudulently claimed over R41 million from the Temporary Employment Relief Scheme (TERS) managed by the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). This revelation represents a shameful new low for the public service that should anger all honest and hard-working officials and taxpayers. The TERS fund was created to support the millions of employees in the private sector whose … [Read more...] about We must have ACTION against crooked cadres who stole R41 million from hungry families
Schools plagued with concerns over safe reopening; DBE has 1 week to step in
Dear MyPE With only two weeks to go before schools reopen, there is still a lot of concerns regarding school readiness in the provinces, that the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Basic Education visited during its oversight to KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng this week. The Democratic Alliance (DA) therefore calls on the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to get its house in order in ensuring schools safely reopen for learners on the 15th of February. The reality is that … [Read more...] about Schools plagued with concerns over safe reopening; DBE has 1 week to step in
Fight on for release of Nelson Mandela Bay drought funding
Dear MyPE Nelson Mandela Bay is currently in the grip of a devastating drought, that has seen the combined dam levels supplying the Metro drop below 20%. Despite this, the previous ANC-led Coalition of Corruption, failed to spend conditional grants given to the city for drought mitigation measure, totalling R188 million rand, during its two years in government from 2018 to 2020. National Treasury has subsequently refused to roll over these funds. A capable state would never have … [Read more...] about Fight on for release of Nelson Mandela Bay drought funding
Home Affairs must reopen services
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, to reopen identity document, retention of citizenship, passport and marriage services. It is simply not fair that services to which citizens have a constitutional right are denied because Home Affairs has failed to explore all available options. The opening and closing of selected Home Affairs services at different stages of lockdown is the lazy option and has to be replaced with resilient … [Read more...] about Home Affairs must reopen services
Legislature approves no-fee, online public schooling in EC
Dear MyPE The Eastern Cape Department of Education must, with all haste, put together plans for the launch of a no-fee, public online school, and provide feedback to the provincial portfolio committee on Education within 30 days. This was the decision of the members of Eastern Cape Legislature during a plenary sitting yesterday, passing a motion without notice, brought by the Democratic Alliance. A capable state is one which embraces innovation and forward-thinking. No-fee public online … [Read more...] about Legislature approves no-fee, online public schooling in EC
Expropriation Bill poses serious threat to property ownership rights
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) has serious concerns about the Expropriation Bill that is currently before Parliament. This Bill, for which public participation has been extended to 28 February 2021, contains sections that could disenfranchise owners of all types of property in South Africa, not just landowners or farmers. The Expropriation Bill has been a source of contention since its inception and has remained so through the many reviews and amendments through the years. Here … [Read more...] about Expropriation Bill poses serious threat to property ownership rights
Vaccines: too little, too late
Dear MyPE On Monday evening, the President of South Africa proudly announced that the first batch of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, acquired from India to aid us in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, had arrived in the country. While this is certainly good news, particularly for our health care workers who continue to work under extreme pressure and will be first to receive the vaccine, unfortunately, it remains far too little, far too late. Last year in June, while … [Read more...] about Vaccines: too little, too late
Bigger municipalities mean higher costs not better services
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) does not believe that the ANC’s proposal to reduce the number of municipalities in the country has anything to do with improving service delivery. Centralising power is the ANC’s standard response to every problem, including its own legacy of cadre deployment and mismanagement in local government. But beyond the consolidation of municipalities that happened in the 2000s, there is no evidence that bigger municipalities will lead to better service … [Read more...] about Bigger municipalities mean higher costs not better services
