Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape has been vindicated in laying charges against a company which allegedly defrauded the OR Tambo District Municipality of millions of Rands. Today, 22 October 2020, a director of Phathilizwi Training Institute, Phumza Gambula, appeared in the Mthatha Magistrates Court after she was detained by the Hawks yesterday. She has subsequently been released on bail. This follows after the OR Tambo District Municipality Director of … [Read more...] about Arrest in OR Tambo Covid-19 corruption scandal
Letters to the Editor
Excess deaths continue to rise in Eastern Cape
Dear MyPE The number of excess deaths in the Eastern Cape continues to rise, with the latest available data released by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) indicating 10 489 excess deaths. Most of these are in the rural parts of the province. This is the second highest number in the country. Only Gauteng has a higher number of reported excess deaths, at 11 909. My greatest fear is that these statistics indicate that the pandemic is more prevalent in our province than what … [Read more...] about Excess deaths continue to rise in Eastern Cape
DNA Board Confirms Chaos at Forensic Science Labs: 300% backlog of DNA case exhibits
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) warnings of a crisis at the National Forensic Science Laboratories (NFLS) were vindicated by the DNA Board in Parliament on Wednesday. During a presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Police on the handover report from the previous board it was said that the backlog in processing DNA case exhibits is at an alarming 300%. It was also highlighted that the backlog of case exhibits associated with Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) cases … [Read more...] about DNA Board Confirms Chaos at Forensic Science Labs: 300% backlog of DNA case exhibits
Brand-new Patensie school vacant for over a year
Dear MyPE A brand-new school that was built by the Department of Education in Patensie, has been standing empty for over a year, while learners who are meant to benefit from it are still forced to attend schools with woefully inadequate infrastructure. The building of the school was part of the national Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) programme which aimed to eradicate schools built with inappropriate and unsafe materials. A programme that continues to fail … [Read more...] about Brand-new Patensie school vacant for over a year
Chaos at Korsten Drivers’ License Testing Centre
Dear MyPE The crisis at the Korsten Drivers' License Testing Centre in Port Elizabeth is causing endless disruption to the lives of the long-suffering residents of Nelson Mandela Bay, placing them in danger and negatively impacting their finances. All of this can be easily avoided if the ANC-led Coalition of Corruption stops dragging its feet to ensure that the Motherwell Traffic and Licensing Centre becomes operational as soon as possible. Today, 21 October 2020, I was joined by DA EC … [Read more...] about Chaos at Korsten Drivers’ License Testing Centre
R200 million of the people’s money poured into incomplete Sarah Baartman Centre
Dear MyPE The people of Hankey, in the Eastern Cape, were promised 1000's of jobs by the ANC government through the construction of the Sarah Baartman Remembrance Centre. Instead, five years down the line, the people have been saddled with a growing financial burden, as the costs have ballooned from R165 million to more than R200 million. Very little has come of the construction jobs for locals promised. The 134 full-time employment opportunities at the Centre, on project completion, are … [Read more...] about R200 million of the people’s money poured into incomplete Sarah Baartman Centre
Cradock and Middelburg united in demands for urgent provincial intervention in Inxuba Yethemba Council
Dear MyPE The recent spate of protests by community members in Cradock has as of last week Friday, now spread to Middelburg. These protests have left at least two people dead, while calls for urgent intervention by the provincial government has seen little results. The unhappiness from the community stems from various allegations of corruption, maladministration and service delivery failures by the Inxuba Yethemba Municipal Council. The Municipality has been marred by various … [Read more...] about Cradock and Middelburg united in demands for urgent provincial intervention in Inxuba Yethemba Council
Tourism red list is destroying the tourism industry
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, to request clarity on the criteria used to draw up the red list comprising of countries South Africa considers as high risk for international travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We will also submit parliamentary questions in this regard. The Department of Home Affairs on Monday published a revised red list. The DA is of the view that the system to identify these high risk nations is not … [Read more...] about Tourism red list is destroying the tourism industry
Escalating farm attacks in Addo must be addressed
Dear MyPE The escalating farm attacks in the Addo policing area needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. This is a provincial hotspot with 14 of 74 farm attacks in the last year occurring in this area. The red lights have been flashing for some time. Friday’s attack is condemned in the strongest terms. The DA has received information that on Friday, 16 October 2020, at about 20:35, five people residing on the farm were attacked just outside Addo. During the attack we are … [Read more...] about Escalating farm attacks in Addo must be addressed
R350 grant extension: Will SASSA leave millions in the lurch again?
Dear MyPE While the Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes yesterday’s announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the Special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant of R350 would be extended for another three months - the reality is that the previous seven months of this grant has been a complete mess. There is little doubt that the intention behind the grant was laudable, however, the implementation was chaotic from the start. Potential beneficiaries had to wait for months to find … [Read more...] about R350 grant extension: Will SASSA leave millions in the lurch again?
Library Lockdown Woes
Dear MyPE As much as the Eastern Cape is most-probably Africa's Capital in Jealousy & Schadenfreude / Epicaricacy (deriving pleasure from the misfortune of others), it also consists of Freethinkers that are few and far in-between though. The long-lasting libraries' lockdown could be ascribed to the stereotype that Blacks don't read hence the prolonging thereof, despite our current Level 1 of the Covid-19 restriction. I mean, according to our democracy i.e Affirmative policy, the majority … [Read more...] about Library Lockdown Woes
Education Department digs in heels over e-learning contract, at taxpayers’ expense
Dear MyPE The Eastern Cape Department of Education refuses to admit its mistakes and self-correct with respect to the irregular E-learning procurement contract entered into with Sizwe Africa IT Group, despite a court interdict pending a full review. This became clear during a sitting of the portfolio committee on Education, requested by the Democratic Alliance, which met on Thursday to consider the implications of the interdict and pending review. The DA has consistently contended that … [Read more...] about Education Department digs in heels over e-learning contract, at taxpayers’ expense
Sickening sewage collapse in Addo
Dear MyPE The villages of Addo and Kirkwood in the Sundays River Valley have been flooded with untreated sewage, which is leaking out of a poorly maintained and badly managed sewerage system and infiltrating the clean water systems which are intended for domestic use. At the entrance to Valencia, untreated sewage bubbles out of broken pipes and forms a river which eventually flows into the Sundays River. In Aquapark, untreated sewage flows into a canal, which in turn flows into a source … [Read more...] about Sickening sewage collapse in Addo
Urgent interventions needed at chaotic Malabar Clinic
Dear MyPE Urgent and long-lasting interventions by the Eastern Cape Department of Health needs to be made to improve its services to the communities of the Northern Areas of Nelson Mandela Bay. The Department, in trying to quell rising public outrage over the years-long closure of the Helenvale Clinic, which forced residents to travel to Malabar to seek medical care, recently reopened the clinic to much fanfare. What they failed to mention, was that the vast majority of staff and … [Read more...] about Urgent interventions needed at chaotic Malabar Clinic
Extension of state of disaster is a blatant power grab
Dear MyPE CoGTA Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has once again extended the national state of disaster, which was set to expire today, justifying it with “the need to continue augmenting the existing legislation and contingency arrangements undertaken by organs of state to address the impact of the disaster”. Let’s be clear. This is a blatant power grab. The state of disaster deliberately cuts out parliamentary oversight. It effectively allows government to run a dictatorship, making new … [Read more...] about Extension of state of disaster is a blatant power grab
