Dear MyPE The Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) is in contravention of the Municipal Structures Act by not providing minutes for council meetings during which important decisions are taken, such as the passing of the municipal budget. Since May 2020, when there was an easing of the Covid-19 pandemic national lockdown regulations, BCMM council meetings have been held with councillors and the relevant officials logging in virtually. The first such council meeting held in … [Read more...] about BCM Municipality flouting Municipal Structures Act by not providing council minutes
Letters to the Editor
#CrimeStats: More questions than answers
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) will urgently write to the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele to provide clarity on several problematic and confusing aspects of the annual crime statistics for 2019/2020. The crime stats once again indicate that South African Police Service (SAPS) is losing the battle against most major crimes. The murder rate is, again, the highest it has been in 10 years, with an average of 58.4 murders per day in South Africa. Sexual offences increased by 1.7%, with … [Read more...] about #CrimeStats: More questions than answers
ANC MP’s insidious threat to freedom of the press
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns in the strongest terms the threats made by ANC Member of Parliament, Boy Mamabolo, to shoot Sunday World journalist, Ngwako Malatji. We will refer Mamabolo to Parliament’s Ethics Committee, to ensure that he is held fully accountable for his statements and that his actions are thoroughly investigated. Threatening journalists is a serious and insidious problem which, if not properly addressed or challenged, will reverse the gains made … [Read more...] about ANC MP’s insidious threat to freedom of the press
President Ramaphosa must immediately account in Parliament for the ANC’s Covid feeding frenzy
Dear MyPE Even though it was entirely predictable, the feeding frenzy over Covid19-related tenders among ANC-connected individuals is a filthy stain on our country in this time of crisis. I will be writing to the Speaker of the National Assembly today to request a snap debate on the matter, in which President Ramaphosa himself will have to come and answer for the behaviour of his party’s members and set out exactly how he intends to act against each and every implicated individual. He must … [Read more...] about President Ramaphosa must immediately account in Parliament for the ANC’s Covid feeding frenzy
Another fishy company gets paid in Gauteng PPE deal
Dear MyPE The report today in the Sunday Independent about yet another fishy company getting paid millions for PPE by the Gauteng Health Department highlights the complete lack of controls that allowed this to happen. According to the report, Ledla Structural Development was paid at least R80 million for PPE even though it does not appear on the original list of 75 successful bidders for R2.2 billion worth of PPE contracts in Gauteng. It is alleged that money was channeled through … [Read more...] about Another fishy company gets paid in Gauteng PPE deal
Staggering EC crime figures shows bloody crime wave continues
Dear MyPE The crime statistics released yesterday show that the bloody wave of violent crime continues to sweep through the Eastern Cape, bringing little hope to residents who continue to live in fear of the criminal element that stalks our communities. Despite bucking the national trend in murders, with a slight decrease of 2,2% year on year, 3 879 people still lost their lives at the hands of criminals in the province. This is just under 11 people a day, on average, in the Eastern Cape, … [Read more...] about Staggering EC crime figures shows bloody crime wave continues
DA launches urgent application against NMB Speaker and CoGTA MEC
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) today submitted an urgent application in the Port Elizabeth High Court, to have the court compel the Speaker of the Nelson Mandela Bay Council, Cllr Buyelwa Mafaya, to call a council meeting. This follows after letters served on the Speaker, as well as the Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Xolile Nqatha, by our attorneys of record earlier this week, have gone unanswered. The letter to Cllr Mafaya … [Read more...] about DA launches urgent application against NMB Speaker and CoGTA MEC
The Minister of No Tourism confirms that things haven’t changed as joblessness increases
Dear MyPE The Minister of No Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane’s announcement yesterday about changes to regulations within the tourism and hospitality sectors indicate that in reality, nothing had changed. The announcements made indicate that the Minister and her Department know nothing about the challenges currently faced by the tourism and hospitality sectors. Kubayi-Ngubane’s big announcement that the curfew will now start at 22:00, means that staff and anyone patronising restaurants … [Read more...] about The Minister of No Tourism confirms that things haven’t changed as joblessness increases
New regulations further burden, job losses for hunting industry
Dear MyPE Amended regulations relating to hunting, gazetted by the National Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries this week as part of government’s ongoing Covid-19 pandemic response, will have a devastating impact on the already overburdened industry in the Eastern Cape. These regulations, implemented by an out of touch ANC government, effectively bans any provision of accommodation for hunters and will undoubtedly result in more job losses in the sector! This is one of the … [Read more...] about New regulations further burden, job losses for hunting industry
DA escalates BCM Farm 924 evictions to SAHRC
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance is calling on the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to investigate the manner in which residents, who illegally invaded land owned by the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), were removed. On Monday 27 July residents who illegally invaded Farm 924 Greydell, owned by the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), were awoken by bulldozers demolishing their newly built housing structures. Some of the structures demolished were brick … [Read more...] about DA escalates BCM Farm 924 evictions to SAHRC
Housing Budget receives second largest cut
Dear MyPE The ANC in Parliament yesterday voted to cut more than R2.26 billion from the Department of Human Settlements’ (DHS) annual budget. The ANC were supported by Patricia De Lille’s Good Party, the IFP, ATM, NFP and Al Jama-ah. The Human Settlements Department, which exists specifically to help poor outh Africans, received the second largest budget cut of all Government Departments. Of the R2.26 billion erased from the Housing Department’s budget, R1.7 billion was cut from the … [Read more...] about Housing Budget receives second largest cut
Eskom tariff hikes
DA reiterates call for A-G to annually audit all NERSA pricing and regulatory account determinations Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) has noted the High Court ruling in favour of Eskom against the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), allowing the power utility to hike electricity tariffs by more than 10%. While the DA respects the Court’s decision, it is unfortunate that these tariff hikes come at a time when our country is in a middle of an economic meltdown that … [Read more...] about Eskom tariff hikes
The word of the President is not Law, the Law is the Law
DA files application for High Court order declaring President’s school closure announcement unlawful and unconstitutional Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) has today filed an affidavit with the North Gauteng Division of the High Court to seek an order declaring the President’s announcement last week on the closure of schools as unlawful, unconstitutional and not binding. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that public schools would close for the duration of four weeks has not … [Read more...] about The word of the President is not Law, the Law is the Law
We will fight for the people of Nelson Mandela Bay
https://youtu.be/68B41UceAEM Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) attorneys of record have served letters on the Speaker of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, ANC Cllr Buyelwa Mafaya, as well as the Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Xolile Nqatha. The letter to Mafaya has requested that she call an urgent council meeting for Monday next week (3 August 2020) to elect a new mayor, appoint a qualified and competent Acting City Manager and … [Read more...] about We will fight for the people of Nelson Mandela Bay
A watershed moment for our country
IMF loan requires extra accountability and transparency measures Dear MyPE The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) approval of a US$4.3 billion loan to South Africa is a watershed moment for our country. This is the first time since before 1994 that we have had to resort to IMF borrowing, and is a profound signal of the frailty of our economy following years of mismanagement, bad policy and corruption. The loan comes amidst growing evidence of a pervasive corrupt feeding frenzy by ANC … [Read more...] about A watershed moment for our country
