Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, requesting that she provides clarity on when her Department plans to institute a comprehensive productivity assessment on all farms that have been bought by government for land reform purposes since 1994. An assessment of budget documents since 1994 shows that government has spent over R53 billion rand on land reform. According to a Parliamentary reply by the Minister of … [Read more...] about Government in the dark about productivity of land reform farms worth R56 billion
Letters to the Editor
Urgent need for Eastern Cape Rural Safety Summit
Dear MyPE The Eastern Cape urgently needs to host a rural safety summit, to develop measures to curb farm murders in the rural areas and address the rampant stock theft taking place, along with the high rate of crime in these communities. It is therefore encouraging that the MEC for Safety and Liaison, MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe, has indicated her support for a rural safety summit, as well support for farm murders to be categorized as priority crimes, in response to my questions on this … [Read more...] about Urgent need for Eastern Cape Rural Safety Summit
Innovative Plastic Roads project nominated in 2020 Eco-Logic Awards
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape has secured a place in the finals in two categories of the 2020 Eco-Logic Awards for its innovative Plastic Roads project in Jeffreys Bay, in the DA-run Kouga Municipality. The project has been shortlisted in the Innovation and Eco-Build award categories of the annual event, widely recognised as South Africa’s most glamorous green eco-calendar event, hosted by Enviropaedia. The Eco-Logic Awards, which has 13 categories in total, … [Read more...] about Innovative Plastic Roads project nominated in 2020 Eco-Logic Awards
Resignation of CSA president does not absolve him of wrongdoing
Dear MyPE While the Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the resignation of Cricket South Africa (CSA) President Chris Nenzani, his resignation in no way absolves him from any wrongdoing. We find it very suspicious that the resignation comes less than a month before his tenure would have drawn to a natural close at the CSA’s annual general meeting in September, and a week before he was to give account of his conduct as President of CSA before Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts … [Read more...] about Resignation of CSA president does not absolve him of wrongdoing
Social Development’s non-payment of subsidies continues to cripple NPOs
Dear MyPE Hundreds of Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) are battling to keep their doors open as private funding dries up under the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent enforced lockdown. Fundraising initiatives, many of which require face to face interactions, have all but ground to a halt, while corporate funding has also been severely affected, with funds being redirected to Covid-19 relief measures. In the face of these challenges, NPOs, which are at the coalface of … [Read more...] about Social Development’s non-payment of subsidies continues to cripple NPOs
Too late, Mr President. You’ve already killed the economy
Dear MyPE President Ramaphosa’s announcement last night that the Lockdown will continue at Level 2 is nothing but a capitulation to the real power in the ANC, who desperately want to cling to the “new normal” they have created for South Africa these past five months. The lockdown, along with the State of Disaster that was again extended for 30 days yesterday, only serves to place power and control in a few hands and bypasses government’s legislative arm entirely. Whether they call it level … [Read more...] about Too late, Mr President. You’ve already killed the economy
Just seven boreholes for the entire drought-plagued Sarah Baartman District
Dear MyPE Seven boreholes within an area of 5,8194 million hectares. This is the extent of the drought aid assistance that the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform will spend on farmers in the drought-plagued Sarah Baartman District. This is a slap in the face of farmers in the Sarah Baartman district who have been battling prolonged drought conditions for six years. This will also have a devastating impact on jobs in the region. The Department revealed on … [Read more...] about Just seven boreholes for the entire drought-plagued Sarah Baartman District
Cele’s Shameless Crime Stats Propaganda
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns Police Minister, Bheki Cele’s shameless use of crime statistics to score political points while bypassing Parliament. Today, he is announcing the quarterly crime statistics pertaining to the lockdown period without presenting it to Parliament first and being accountable to the Portfolio Committee on Police. This year the annual crime statistics for 2019/20 were announced in July as opposed to September, which is when they have been released … [Read more...] about Cele’s Shameless Crime Stats Propaganda
Mourning the loss of Cllr Lungiswa Mlungwana
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance in Nelson Mandela Bay is deeply saddened by the passing of one of its longstanding and respected colleagues, Councillor Lungiswa Mlungwana (61), who passed away yesterday. Cllr Mlungwana was a DA PR Councillor in Nelson Mandela Bay from 2016, and worked primarily in KwaNobuhle. As the deputy chairperson of the DA Women’s Network (DAWN) in the Eastern Cape, and the DAWN chairperson in the Winterhoek Constituency, Cllr Mlungwana fought for the rights of … [Read more...] about Mourning the loss of Cllr Lungiswa Mlungwana
Thank You for the One Thousand Overseas Trips Taxpayer!
Since Ramaphosa became President, his high-flying ministers and deputies have gallivanted overseas nearly 1 000 times Dear MyPE Since Cyril Ramaphosa became President in February 2018, members of his cabinet as well as their deputies have used taxpayer money to pay for no fewer than 949 overseas trips. Given that Ramaphosa has now been in office for 912 days, this means that his government has forced taxpayers to pay for ministers and deputies to gallivant overseas at a rate of more than … [Read more...] about Thank You for the One Thousand Overseas Trips Taxpayer!
Premier Mabuyane must act as more evidence mounts against MEC Tikana-Gxothiwe
Dear MyPE Premier Oscar Mabuyane cannot delay any longer. He must act now and remove Transport MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe from office. Two damning front page news reports this morning have revealed further evidence of how MEC Tikana-Gxothiwe has allegedly abused her power as a member of the provincial executive. The first instance, relating to a recording of the MEC, she openly admits that she was instrumental in the appointment of unqualified individuals to her Department. These same … [Read more...] about Premier Mabuyane must act as more evidence mounts against MEC Tikana-Gxothiwe
DSD urgently need to pay old age and children’s homes
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) is appalled by reports that the Department of Social Development (DSD) has failed to pay thousands of organisations that do social work on behalf of Government in several provinces in South Africa, and call on the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, to ensure that the situation is rectified immediately. We will also submit parliamentary questions to interrogate the root cause of this travesty. These organisations service the most … [Read more...] about DSD urgently need to pay old age and children’s homes
Thousands of Eastern Cape learners go hungry as school nutrition programme fails
Dear MyPE Thousands of learners across the Eastern Cape, waiting to be phased back into classes have gone hungry, as the School Nutrition Programme (SNP) in the province has failed to provide them with meals. In a report to the Education Portfolio Committee last week (6 August 2020), the Department of Education revealed that only 3,25% of learners had received meals from the SNP during lockdown. This despite the High Court in Pretoria ordering the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to … [Read more...] about Thousands of Eastern Cape learners go hungry as school nutrition programme fails
Eastern Cape’s Collapsing Local Governments
Dear MyPE The true horror story of the collapse of local government in the Eastern Cape has been brought home by the latest Municipal Financial Sustainability Index (MFSI) report by Ratings Afrika. The report shows that the Amahlati municipality is one of the worst performing municipalities in the country. This report follows the Auditor Generals report last month, which showed that 13 Eastern Cape municipalities reports have worsened compared to the previous year. Local municipalities … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape’s Collapsing Local Governments
Minister of No Tourism allegedly plotting to capture tourism industry via TUSA
Dear MyPE A whistle-blower has contacted the Democratic Alliance (DA) providing information that the ANC is allegedly planning to start a “sweetheart” union for the tourism sector sanctioned by Luthuli House. This tourism union will supposedly be compliant and deferential to the ANC and would serve as the official voice of the tourism industry thus muting the sector in an attempt to stop the tourism demonstrations that are now taking place almost daily. Such a union would be ideally timed … [Read more...] about Minister of No Tourism allegedly plotting to capture tourism industry via TUSA
