MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Letters to the Editor

Poor Coordination to be blamed for canned flights

By

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been inundated with calls from flight management of different airline companies threatening to cancel more flights due to the shambolic regulations regarding flight crews following initial cancellations by Emirates on Friday. Dubai-based Emirates cancelled its flight to Durban for Sunday and also announced that it was cancelling its other just-resumed flights to and from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. The DA has requested that the … [Read more...] about Poor Coordination to be blamed for canned flights

Shambolic reopening of SA’s borders is killing desperately needed tourism

By

Dear MyPE The cancellation with immediate effect of key Emirates flights to South Africa comes as a direct result of national government’s shambolic management of the reopening of South Africa’s borders for leisure travel in a time when our tourism industry is in dire straits. Regulations published by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), which require airline crew to follow the same health protocol as passengers upon arrival to South Africa, are … [Read more...] about Shambolic reopening of SA’s borders is killing desperately needed tourism

Police brutality is on the increase while IPID’s capacity to investigate is on the decline

By

Dear MyPE A Democratic Alliance (DA) investigation on police misconduct over a 5 year period has revealed a troubling increase in police brutality and the Independent Police Investigation Directorate’s (IPID) declining capacity to successfully investigate the cases before it. The DA will write to the head of IPID, Jennifer Ntlatseng, requesting that she provides clarity on any plans that the organisation has to clear its case backlog and fast track its investigations on pending … [Read more...] about Police brutality is on the increase while IPID’s capacity to investigate is on the decline

24-hour Traffic Law Enforcement must hit the ground running

By

Dear MyPE As we enter Transport Month, it is clear that drastic action needs to be taken to address the ongoing carnage on the Eastern Cape roads, which is once again spiralling out of control as lockdown measures are eased. The DA therefore welcomes Transport MEC, Weziwe Tikana Gxothiwe’s announcement that her department will be rolling out 24-hour Traffic Law Enforcement on nine routes across the province, starting today. In a parliamentary response, MEC Tikana Gxothiwe said 252 … [Read more...] about 24-hour Traffic Law Enforcement must hit the ground running

Escaped Elliot prisoners must be brought to book

By

Dear MyPE The South African Police Service must pull out all the stops to rearrest the individuals who managed to escape from the police holding cells in Elliot last night. The Democratic Alliance has reliably learnt that seven detainees, who were allegedly being held on charges ranging from house robbery to attempted murder, managed to escape the holding cells and take a police officer’s firearm in the process. One cannot allow these dangerous individuals to be on the run in the … [Read more...] about Escaped Elliot prisoners must be brought to book

Inxuba Yethemba CFO must be suspended pending an internal investigation

By

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) has requested that the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality (IYLM) be suspended. The CFO was appointed despite a directive from the Eastern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), ordering that the post be re-advertised. The then acting Municipal Manager appointed the CFO, Lucky Mulaudzi, in February 2017, but added a proviso that the appointment is subject to obtaining a letter of … [Read more...] about Inxuba Yethemba CFO must be suspended pending an internal investigation

CoGTA MEC must second official to preside over NMB council meeting to avoid legal challenges

By

Dear MyPE The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality will be opening itself up to legal action if its next council meeting is presided over by an invalid and unqualified acting City Manager, and if adjustments to the City’s budget are tabled by a self-styled “interim” Executive Mayor. The next council meeting is set down for tomorrow, 2 October 2020, and is illogically taking place in virtual format – even though lockdown Level 1 allows for a full physical council meeting to take place in a venue … [Read more...] about CoGTA MEC must second official to preside over NMB council meeting to avoid legal challenges

SABC wastes R6 million on catering, despite its financial difficulties

By

Dear MyPE A reply to a Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary question has revealed that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has spent a staggering R6 million on catering since 2018. See reply here. As it stands the SABC has projected a budget shortfall of R1.5 billion due to a significant drop in advertising revenue as a result of the devastating economic impact of Covid-19. It is also faced with a R700 million shortfall, separate from the R1.5 billion. The SABC was … [Read more...] about SABC wastes R6 million on catering, despite its financial difficulties

Dodgy data from StatsSA on unemployment masks real jobs crisis

By

Dear MyPE The assertion by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) that the official unemployment rate declined from 30.1% (in quarter 1) to 23.3% (in quarter 2) is deceptive and masks the real extent of the unemployment crisis in South Africa. The key takeaway from yesterday’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) is that 2.2 million people lost their jobs in the 2nd quarter of 2020 and that the real unemployment rate increased by 2.3% to an unprecedented 42% in the same quarter. This is … [Read more...] about Dodgy data from StatsSA on unemployment masks real jobs crisis

In current form the NMB council meeting contravenes court order

By

Dear MyPE The Nelson Mandela Bay Speaker, ANC Cllr Buyelwa Mafaya, has failed to place the election of an Executive Mayor on the agenda for the upcoming Council meeting, scheduled to take place this Friday, 2 October 2020. This is in direct violation of a recent High Court order, and flies in the face of directives issued to her by both the provincial and national departments of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA). I have therefore written to her, to highlight that … [Read more...] about In current form the NMB council meeting contravenes court order

SA’s Job Slaughterhouse

By

Dear MyPE The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey statistics, released today, show the devastating impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the economy of the Eastern Cape. Although the provincial unemployment figure has improved slightly, from 40.5% to 36.9%, these figures have been skewed, as Stats SA excludes those who have given up looking for work from the official unemployment rate. It is the expanded unemployment rate that shows the true devastation that has hit the … [Read more...] about SA’s Job Slaughterhouse

Record unemployment rate: South Africans pay a high price for ANC’s bad choices

By

Dear MyPE The DA notes with despair the announcement today by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) that 2.2 million people lost their jobs in the 2nd quarter and that the expanded unemployment rate increased by 2.3% to an unprecedented 42% in the same quarter. By its own admission, StatsSA points out that the decline in the official unemployment rate from 30.1% to 23.3% in the 2nd quarter is not a reflection of an improvement in the labour market but rather an effect of the lockdown, since … [Read more...] about Record unemployment rate: South Africans pay a high price for ANC’s bad choices

Request for drought to be reclassified as a State of Disaster

By

Dear MyPE During a recent oversight visit to the Central Karoo District, the Democratic Alliance (DA) was alarmed to find that recent rainfall has not alleviated the drought that has plagued the region for the past seven years, and that farmers there are on the brink of despair. We therefor call on the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to reinstate the classification of the drought as a State of Disaster that the Head of the … [Read more...] about Request for drought to be reclassified as a State of Disaster

On the Importance of Electricity

By

Dear Fellow South African, Every South African knows how important electricity is in our lives. When it is available no one thinks about it. But when we have load shedding everything just goes wrong in our lives at home, in our work environment and practically in every facet of our lives. As we know only too well our energy security is precarious and load-shedding imposes very high costs on our economy. Our fleet of coal-fired power stations is ageing, vulnerable to breakdowns and incurs … [Read more...] about On the Importance of Electricity