Massive delays in blood tests for drunk drivers in the Eastern Cape allow them to escape the full wrath of the law. This bombshell has left me feeling outraged. Too many tears are shed by grieving families while the culprits are getting away with murder. The DA believes that we need a criminal justice system that is properly coordinated so that offenders can be nailed and jailed. Court cases against drunken drivers are not succeeding due to high backlogs in blood testing by the Forensic … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape’s drunk driving bombshell
bobby stevenson
Arrest of suspect in Cookhouse farm murder welcomed
The DA welcomes the swift arrest by the SAPS of a suspect in the farm murder of Jonathan Troskie last week in the Cookhouse area. They must continue to pull out all stops to arrest all culprits involved in this ghastly deed so that the climate of safety and security can be improved in our rural communities for the benefit of all the people. Each time a farmer is murdered it impacts on the economic viability of our fragile rural economy as it makes it a less attractive place to invest in. … [Read more...] about Arrest of suspect in Cookhouse farm murder welcomed
EC capital expenditure needs to pick up
Early warning signs are emerging from the second quarter provincial expenditure figures released by National Treasury last week. Whereas the Eastern Cape Province has spent 47,7 % of its budget for the year to date, expenditure on capital assets of 34,7 % is a cause for concern because of the impact on the provincial economy. Given the high unemployment rate, the province desperately needs the spinoff of infrastructural spending in terms of job creation. Human Settlements is lagging … [Read more...] about EC capital expenditure needs to pick up
Unemployment still too high in Eastern Cape
The unemployment rate in the Eastern Cape remains too high. The province has the second highest unemployment rate at 30,8 %, according to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa today. This was the same figure as in the previous quarter. Only the Free State fared worse in the third quarter, where the unemployment rate is 34%. The Eastern Cape is caught in a vicious downward spiral where people are leaving the province because of a lack of job prospects. The … [Read more...] about Unemployment still too high in Eastern Cape
DA landslide Ward 5 win
The DA romped home with an increased majority victory in yesterday's by-election in Ward 5 of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Municipality. The DA candidate, Morné Steyn, polled 2 302 votes which is 94,5% of the vote, up from 85% in 2011. The ANC polled 108 votes, dropping from 12% in 2011 to 4,5%. The UDM received a meagre 24 votes. There were 18 spoiled papers. The electorate has given the DA a massive show of confidence ahead of the 2014 elections and WITH THIS CONTINUED SWING we will … [Read more...] about DA landslide Ward 5 win
Eastern Cape civil servants are eating well
The amount spent in the last financial year (2012/13) on catering by all provincial departments was R87, 197 million. In contrast the amount spent on staff development was R95, 955 million, according to a DA analysis of the latest annual reports of departments. In a province where departments consistently blame capacity problems for poor service delivery, it is scandalous that almost the same amount is spent on catering as on staff development. In many departments more was spent on catering than … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape civil servants are eating well
2012 – 2013 Crime Statistics Eastern Cape
The increase in the murder rate in the Eastern Cape as well as the increase in sexual crimes means that the people of the Eastern Cape and women in particular will continue to live in a state of fear. The increase in sexual offences per 100,000 of the population was the second highest in the country whereas the increase in the murder rate was the fourth highest. The high increase in burglaries at non-residential premises is a major cause for concern. The increase per 100,000 of the … [Read more...] about 2012 – 2013 Crime Statistics Eastern Cape
Damning report on the state of the Eastern Cape SAPS
The 10111 Centres are the public's first port of call in a crisis. These centres together with the flying squad are our front line against the criminal element. The public expects them to be well resourced and fully functional so that they can respond as swiftly as possible to calls of distress. This report is an indictment on the failure of the management of the SAPS to deal with the situation at hand. It's also an indictment on the Department of Safety and Liason whose failure to … [Read more...] about Damning report on the state of the Eastern Cape SAPS
Good name of SAPS members must not be tarnished by criminal minority
There should be no place for criminals in the South African Police Service. According to the reply to a legislature question I asked the MEC for Safety and Liaison. Helen Sauls-August, a total of 264 members of the SAPS have criminal records in the Eastern Cape and there are 474 pending cases against members. In another report, tabled in National Parliament last week, the Eastern Cape was the province that had the second highest number of SAPS members with criminal records, after Gauteng. The … [Read more...] about Good name of SAPS members must not be tarnished by criminal minority
Calls for improvement in Public Order Policing
Huge frustration with the slow pace of service delivery in the Eastern Cape continues to boil over, resulting in public unrest. We need a highly trained and fully staffed Public Order Policing Unit (POPS) in the Eastern Cape if we are to maintain law and order in an increasingly volatile climate. The incident on Wednesday where workers disrupted a meeting of the Nelson Mandela Metro council, manhandled councillors and held them hostage, illustrates the issue of the growing number of unruly … [Read more...] about Calls for improvement in Public Order Policing
NMBM council must lay criminal charges against invading workers
Yesterday's invasion of the Nelson Mandela Bay council chambers by workers is far from a simple issue of occupying the chamber. It is a direct assault on our democracy. A legislative arm of government was prevented from exercising its free will on important matters because the elected representatives of the people were held hostage. DA councillors were not free to leave the chamber. The direct blame for this situation of anarchy that is fast developing in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality … [Read more...] about NMBM council must lay criminal charges against invading workers
The ticking jobs for pals time bomb
The Eastern Cape government is on track to being nothing more than an employment agency unless drastic action is taken to turn the situation around. The Eastern Cape is spending too much on clerks and administrators and too little on core staff such as doctors, nurses and teachers. The problem is not just how much we spend on personnel but the type of personnel. An accepted norm for the distribution on salaries is 60% for core staff and 40% for support staff. In this province the ratio is the … [Read more...] about The ticking jobs for pals time bomb
Additional policing resources in pipeline for Bethelsdorp in Port Elizabeth
The South African Police Services (SAPS) in Bethelsdorp are in desperate need of new resources. This police station was established in 1985 and since then there has been massive expansion in the area with thousands of homes being built. Police resources have simply not kept pace with the expansion in population, hence the community frustration. On Wednesday 5 June 2013, the Portfolio Committee on Safety and Security met with the provincial management of SAPS. In the meeting I raised the issue … [Read more...] about Additional policing resources in pipeline for Bethelsdorp in Port Elizabeth
Service delivery failures ignite flames in Port Elizabeth Northern Areas
The DA condemns the violence in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth in the strongest terms, particularly the xenophobia targeted at Somali shop owners. The police must continue with their high visibility patrols and to arrest the criminal element running riot. The underlying, ongoing ticking time bomb in the Northern Areas is the lack of service delivery by the ANC-governed Nelson Mandela Bay Metro as well as the high rate of crime. This is frustrating residents to boiling … [Read more...] about Service delivery failures ignite flames in Port Elizabeth Northern Areas
Policy on DNA rape kits must be implemented urgently
There are currently no guidelines or policy pertaining to the number of DNA rape kits that must be kept at a police station’s disposal in the Eastern Cape. This emerged from a reply to written parliamentary questions I asked the MEC for Safety and Liaison, Helen Sauls-August. I welcome the MEC’s commitment to place the issue firmly on the agenda with the SAPS during its oversight meetings and that the department will vigorously strengthen its oversight over the implementation of the anti-rape … [Read more...] about Policy on DNA rape kits must be implemented urgently
