Dear MyPE The people of Alicedale are being denied their basic human right to water by the uncaring ANC led Makana Local Municipality. Last week the community of Alicedale had to suffer through five days without water, receiving water only on Saturday, 16 January 2021, due to an inefficient solar-powered borehole. In 2020 the Makana Municipality received drought funding from the Sarah Baartman District Municipality and with Day Zero imminent, Council took a resolution to drill boreholes … [Read more...] about Residents of Alicedale struggle due to debilitating water crisis
Letters to the Editor
Premier must intervene in Inxuba Yethemba Muncipality
Dear MyPE Premier Oscar Mabuyane must immediately intervene and address the problems in the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality, which is on the brink of collapse under an inept and corrupt administration. Yesterday violent service delivery protests flared up again, with residents cutting off all access to Cradock. Late last year service protests in Cradock and Middelburg claimed the lives of two people, saw several vehicles set alight and caused millions of rands in damages. The Premier … [Read more...] about Premier must intervene in Inxuba Yethemba Muncipality
No money for Covid vaccines, but cadres demand 10% salary hike
Editor: CLICK HERE to see why I say; "Pot!" Dear MyPE Following recent reports that the ongoing looting of the state means that National Treasury has no money left to pay for life-saving Covid vaccines, it is appalling that some public sector unions are nonetheless demanding that their salaries be increased by as much as 10%. In the current context of profound suffering and rapidly accelerating economic decline, which was engineered by decades of ANC misrule and the government’s … [Read more...] about No money for Covid vaccines, but cadres demand 10% salary hike
SAPS must arrest ‘Sjambok Cop’ Immediately
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) is disgusted by the behaviour of a member of the South African Police Service (SAPS) captured on video beating a man with a sjambok, allegedly for not wearing a mask. The horrific video is a further example of the high levels of police abuse which we have seen throughout the lockdown and proof that the violent culture of enforcement within SAPS has not been dealt with by Minister Bheki Cele and the National Police Commissioner, General Khela … [Read more...] about SAPS must arrest ‘Sjambok Cop’ Immediately
Government and the President’s deadly vaccine lies must stop now
Dear MyPE President Ramaphosa’s solemn assurance that his government has been negotiating for the supply of Covid-19 vaccines for the past six months is fast being unmasked as a damage-control lie. The latest exposure of this lie comes in the form of a recorded phone conversation between a Pfizer employee and a Northern Cape businessman in which it is revealed that the pharmaceutical company tried, over and over for many months, to enter into talks with the SA government, to no … [Read more...] about Government and the President’s deadly vaccine lies must stop now
Premier must release report on Transport MEC
Dear MyPE It has been more than eight months since Premier Oscar Mabuyane requested the Provincial Treasury to investigate several allegations against Transport MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe. The Premier cannot continue to drag his feet on this matter. There must be zero tolerance for corruption and maladministration if we are to build a capable state! What are you hiding, Mr Premier? In response to a parliamentary question posed in November last year, Premier Mabuyane confirmed that a … [Read more...] about Premier must release report on Transport MEC
New labour fiat a knockout punch for restaurant and catering industry
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns the decision by the Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, to extend an agreement with the Bargaining Council for the Fast Food, Restaurant, Catering and Allied Trades to all employers and employees in the industry. The extension of this agreement, and its enforcement, will deliver the death-blow to an industry that has been battered over the past year and is already on its knees. The Minister’s extension of the collective … [Read more...] about New labour fiat a knockout punch for restaurant and catering industry
Deputy President Mabuza incapable and unreliable to oversee the vaccine rollout plan
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the appointment of Deputy President David Mabuza by President Cyril Ramaphosa to head up the inter-ministerial task team to oversee South Africa’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout plan. We do not believe that Deputy President Mabuza is a competent and reliable figure to oversee this process as he has a history of failure in governance: As Premier of Mpumalanga, Mabuza ran the province like his own personal fiefdom where corruption, political … [Read more...] about Deputy President Mabuza incapable and unreliable to oversee the vaccine rollout plan
ADM task team appointment good first step, but more needs to be done
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance welcomes the announcement of the appointment of a multi-disciplinary task team for the Amathole District Municipality, whose task will be to strengthen and implement a sustainable financial recovery plan for the Municipality. This is exactly what the DA proposed to the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Xolile Nqatha, in a letter dealing with this issue, last week. While this is a positive first step, it must be remembered that ADM … [Read more...] about ADM task team appointment good first step, but more needs to be done
DA settles court case over Mayor with CoGTA MEC
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance has put Nelson Mandela Bay residents first, opting not to waste valuable taxpayer money on a long, drawn-out legal battle with the Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Xolile Nqatha. Last year MEC Nqatha challenged the election of the Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor, DA councillor Nqaba Bhanga, during a special council meeting held on 4 December 2020. Today, 19 January 2021, the DA and MEC Nqatha settled the … [Read more...] about DA settles court case over Mayor with CoGTA MEC
A Mural depicting our legendary jazz musicians originating from New Brighton, would be so awesome
Dear MyPE I hope and pray you are great under our challenging conditions. Truly a time to reflect and to do deep inner searching. I have recently been approached by Mo Jazz who has a great idea about having a Mural about our legendary New Brighton Jazz musicians, and I think it's such a great idea. Perhaps such a Mural could be portrayed on the Mendi Arts and Culture Centre. If anyone could perhaps embrace this concept, and have the budget for it, it would really be so awesome. … [Read more...] about A Mural depicting our legendary jazz musicians originating from New Brighton, would be so awesome
Did Mabuza mislead Parliament on the completion of the Medupi power station?
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) will ask Parliament’s Ethics Committee to issue a caution against Deputy President, David Mabuza, over misleading statements he made on the completion of Medupi Power station. In June 2020, while addressing an oral question session in the National Assembly, Mabuza stated that “Eskom has committed to completing Medupi and Kusile power stations by the revised dates of 2020 …and 2023 respectively.” In September 2020, Mabuza continued with his … [Read more...] about Did Mabuza mislead Parliament on the completion of the Medupi power station?
Treasury must disclose how municipalities spent R20 billion Covid-relief money
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on National Treasury to disclose the details of how each of the country’s municipalities spent its share of South Africa’s R500 billion Covid-19 relief package. This information should be published on the Treasury website, similar to how Covid-19 tenders from national and provincial governments were published in August 2020. R20 billion of the R500 billion was earmarked for assistance to municipalities - to relieve the strain of the lockdown … [Read more...] about Treasury must disclose how municipalities spent R20 billion Covid-relief money
Only 5 out of 147 cases of police brutality have been resolved in the past five years
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is deeply disappointed to learn that only five out of 147 cases of police brutality in Gauteng have been resolved in the past five years. This was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL). According to MEC Mazibuko, the following cases have been opened against Gauteng SAPS members in the last five years from the 2016/2017 … [Read more...] about Only 5 out of 147 cases of police brutality have been resolved in the past five years
Stop the back-peddling and blame-shifting, and deliver the vaccine!
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) will not retract or apologise for the statement we issued last week on the Department of Health’s (DoH) suggestion that National Treasury had caused delays in vaccine procurement. We note the statement issued today by the DoH in this regard. We can only conclude that the attempt by the DoH to shift blame has been met with an angry response from Treasury, and they are now trying to back-peddle. We do not care about the petty intrigues of Cabinet … [Read more...] about Stop the back-peddling and blame-shifting, and deliver the vaccine!
