Dear MyPE The long-overdue gazetting of sports regulations for level 3 of the lockdown on Thursday by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa are littered with contradictions and irrational exclusions. The list of nonsensical regulations include: Non-contact sports such as weightlifting and power-lifting are not allowed; Chess is allowed but pool and snooker have been excluded; Motorsport can only "train"; Power-boating is excluded and cannot train; … [Read more...] about Level 3 sports regulations nonsensical and irrational
Letters to the Editor
Northern Areas clinics in crisis
Dear MyPE The Clinics in the Northern Areas of Nelson Mandela Bay are in crisis, with the clinic in Helenvale closed for over a year and a half due to the violent crime in the area. This has had a catastrophic knock on effect on the Malabar clinic, that has seen its case load double as Helenvale residents turn to them for help. This was revealed during an oversight inspection I conducted with DA Eastern Cape Provincial Leader, Nqaba Bhanga, DA NMB Public Health spokesperson, Leander … [Read more...] about Northern Areas clinics in crisis
NLC refuse to disclose Covid-19 relief fund beneficiaries
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) has requested that the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) appear before Parliament’portfolio committee on trade, industry and competition to come clean on all the organisations that have received funding from their Covid-19 Relief Fund. We have been reliably informed that these funds may have been used to finish off infrastructure projects where money had previously been misappropriated to bankroll connected individuals’ lavish … [Read more...] about NLC refuse to disclose Covid-19 relief fund beneficiaries
Tourism Business Council confirms that government will obliterate tourism even beyond Covid-19
Dear MyPE The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) presented their assessment on the impact of Covid-19 on the South African tourism sector to date and in future. The data presented echoed the data obtained by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in preparation for its Tourism Recovery Plan, launched last week. The TBCSA confirmed that if the lockdown is not lifted or at least lightened, between 1.1 million to 1.2 million jobs will be lost. They presented an honest but damning … [Read more...] about Tourism Business Council confirms that government will obliterate tourism even beyond Covid-19
Dlamini-Zuma in court tomorrow over hairdresser and personal care ban
Dear MyPE Tomorrow, Friday 12 June, at 10am, the Democratic Alliance (DA) will present it’s case to the Western Cape High Court to have the irrational and unconstitutional ban on personal care services overturned. This is an important case for the DA but also for the hundreds of thousands of South Africans that have had their livelihoods shattered by the inaction of government to set in place health regulations that will allow hairdressers, beauticians and tattoo artists to operate in a … [Read more...] about Dlamini-Zuma in court tomorrow over hairdresser and personal care ban
Request for urgent review of IPID and SANDF investigations into Collins Khosa’s murder
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) has noted the report on the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigation of the events that led to the death of Collins Khosa outside his home in Alexandra on Good Friday. Based on the glaring contradictions between the IPID report and the internal investigation by the South African National Defense Force (SANDF)'s board of inquiry the DA has requested an urgent meeting of the Joint Standing Committee on Police and Defence to … [Read more...] about Request for urgent review of IPID and SANDF investigations into Collins Khosa’s murder
SAHRC complaint lodged against Minister Zulu over closure of private Early Childhood Development centres
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) has lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to urgently investigate Social Development Minister, Lindiwe Zulu, and her Department’s decision to keep registered Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres closed across South Africa under the risk-adjusted level 3 lockdown. Childcare is an essential service under the lockdown regulations as well as Section 28 of the Constitution. The increasing levels of … [Read more...] about SAHRC complaint lodged against Minister Zulu over closure of private Early Childhood Development centres
SAA price gouging repatriation tickets
Dear MyPE According to the South African Airlines (SAA) website, repatriation tickets from Washington, United States of America (USA) to OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa have increased in price by 133.3% from roughly R15 000 to R35 000 in under a week. This comes off the back of SAA and aviation authorities’ decision to block international airlines from providing a similar repatriation service in order to monopolise the market and prop up our failing national carrier. In … [Read more...] about SAA price gouging repatriation tickets
Review passport applications and collections services
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, to review the processing and collection services for South African passport applications. Currently passport applications are only allowed for cross border transportation of essential services, goods and medicines. The DA, in Parliament’s portfolio committee on home affairs this week, raised several issues with the Minister where South Africans are stuck in desperate situations due to the … [Read more...] about Review passport applications and collections services
Gamtoos Valley farmers under threat as Kouga dam levels plummet
Dear MyPE Gamtoos Valley farmers, who are reliant on the water from the Kouga dam, are on the verge of losing entire orchards, and the Provincial Government has shown no interest in assisting them. This will have a devastating impact on employment in the area, which will affect lives and livelihoods. This week the Kouga dam was at just 8.26% of capacity, and all indications are that the dam will most likely run dry within the next four weeks. This will decimate Gamtoos Valley … [Read more...] about Gamtoos Valley farmers under threat as Kouga dam levels plummet
Millions of litres of Nooitgedacht water going to waste during NMB water crisis
Dear MyPE On Monday, 8 June 2020, I led a DA delegation in conducting an oversight inspection at the Grassridge reservoirs, where an overflow is the cause of tens of millions of litres of potable water from the Nooitgedacht Water Scheme going to waste. The reservoirs are situated between Coega and Addo and consist of a smaller, operational reservoir and a larger reservoir that is still under construction. Over the last year the operational reservoir has overflown on numerous occasions, … [Read more...] about Millions of litres of Nooitgedacht water going to waste during NMB water crisis
Where are UIF Ters payments for foreigners who’ve contributed for years?
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) implores the Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to intervene urgently in the burgeoning humanitarian crisis confronting foreign nationals in South Africa. While the DA welcomes the announcement by UIF Commissioner, Teboho Maruping, that UIF payments to foreign nationals would be made more speedily, we are still inundated with emails from desperate foreign nationals who have been diligently paying … [Read more...] about Where are UIF Ters payments for foreigners who’ve contributed for years?
Super-wealthy Worshipping
Dear MyPE Two thumbs up to Ismail Lagardien's Why should we revere the super-wealthy article (The Herald 2 June 2020) for its absolute objectivity. Money, Status and/or Materialism worshippers, especially the typically shallow Gautengers, must have labelled him jealous, negative, suffer from an inferiority complex, toxic, mean-spirited, practising petty politics blah blah blah afterwards. I get that a lot when I tell money-worshippers that the likes of Kanye West, Warren Buffet, Bill … [Read more...] about Super-wealthy Worshipping
Intimidation and unilateral removal of acting city manager condemned
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance condemns in the strongest terms, the blatant intimidation of acting city manager, Ms. Noxolo Nqwazi, and her subsequent unilateral removal from the position by illegal interim Mayor, Tshonono Buyeye. Ms. Nqwasi has allegedly been repeatedly threatened, reportedly due to her refusal to process dodgy tenders. The DA has reliably learned that the latest threat was received this morning, 8 June 2020, when Ms. Nqwazi found a threatening note on the … [Read more...] about Intimidation and unilateral removal of acting city manager condemned
Return of Community Patrols a welcome boost in the fight against crime
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance welcomes the fact that CPFs and neighbourhood watches can now operate under level 3. This will greatly assist in crime prevention in our province. Fighting crime is a partnership between the community and police and getting patrollers back on the streets will assist with quelling liquor lawlessness and boozy street parties by encouraging social distancing. SAPS alone cannot deal with this and we are witnessing the absence of community leadership. We … [Read more...] about Return of Community Patrols a welcome boost in the fight against crime
