bobby stevenson

Dear MyPE The MEC of Health has been gifted a brand-new car of just under a million rand as part of the Eastern Cape Adjustment Budget passed in the Legislature today. Part of the adjustments for the Department of Health includes R901,000 for a new vehicle for the MEC, whereas we can only afford to spend R325,000 on wheelchairs, hearing aids, and orthotics. This lavish expenditure highlights how out of touch the collapsing Health Department is with reality. We condemn it in the … [Read more...] about If you were THIS guy you would get a new car for Christmas

Dear MyPE When it comes to attempted murders, the Gelvandale policing area in the gang ridden Northern Areas has top spot nationally with an increase of 17% from 225 to 265, while Bethelsdorp is 4th with a staggering increase of 51%, up from 133 to 201. This reflects the ongoing gang violence and the dire need for the new police station in the Bethelsdorp area, to be built as a matter of urgency. I first raised the issue of the new police station in the Bethelsdorp area in 2013, and the … [Read more...] about Build Bethelsdorp Police station and bring back specialised units

Dear MyPE The Hill of Hope that MEC for Finance, Oscar Mabuyane, referred to in his adjustments budget, tabled in the EC legislature this afternoon, is just an illusion. It is in fact the slippery slope of poor governance. This is well illustrated by the R3,014 billion in equitable share that we will lose in 2021/2022 financial year due to the number of people who are leaving the province. Bad governance does not create the right environment for economic growth, it chases investors … [Read more...] about Poor governance and bigger wage bill hits the Eastern Cape hard

Dear MyPE A year and R121,6 million later, and still no real action has been taken to address the issue of extended sick leave in the Eastern Cape. In fact, the response to the parliamentary question on why the Premier’s Office has allowed situation for such a long time is almost identical to the response given a year ago. This shows that there is simply no political will to tackle this problem! We need warm bodies at work, not bodies languishing in warm beds. The money spent on … [Read more...] about A year later and still no action against civil servants on extended sick leave

Dear MyPE At a time when the economy is in a technical recession, government spending should be geared towards service delivery and job creation. However, a review of the Eastern Cape Government Departments annual reports for the 2017/18 financial year shows that at least R1,4 billion is being spent on non-core business such as catering, consultants, transport and accommodation. On many occasions the province has committed itself to belt tightening exercises and cutting back on non-core … [Read more...] about Millions wasted on food, consultants while service delivery stalls

Dear MyPE The Department of Safety and Liaison has not had a permanent Head of Department for a year and a half, as the Eastern Cape Premier, Phumulo Masualle, is dilly-dallying with regards to filling the post. Shamefully the Premier has apparently deemed it unnecessary to have someone in charge of the Department, responsible for oversight of the South African Police Service and Community Policing in the Eastern Cape. Failure to fill this position for a year and a half shows just how … [Read more...] about Premier drags his feet on filling critical Safety Department post

Dear MyPE Children in the Eastern Cape are falling prey to vicious sexual predators, making up half of all sexual offences’ victims in the province in last financial year. This outrageous figure is a sad indictment of the utter collapse of the moral fabric of our society. We all need to band together to turn the tide. In a response to a parliamentary question, Safety and Liaison MEC, Weziwe Tikana, said that of the 7,966 reported cases in the province for the 2017/18 financial year, … [Read more...] about Sexual predators preying on children in the Eastern Cape

Dear MyPE The Quarterly Labour Force Survey, released by Stats SA today, shows how the Eastern Cape economy is continuing to fail, along with the job’s bloodbath. This means thousands of families across the province will struggle to put food on the table, pay for medication and schooling for their loved ones. The fight to just survive in the Eastern Cape is getting harder. The third quarter statistics show the Eastern Cape’s unemployment figures have risen from 730,000 to 769,000, up by … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape unemployment bloodbath continues

Dear MyPE Only eight of the 39 municipalities in the Eastern Cape have permanent Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) who meet the minimum requirements for their posts. Unqualified Chief Financial Officers not only result in qualified audits but open the flood gates for corruption! In a response to a parliamentary question, Finance MEC Oscar Mabuyane said 25 CFOs had not met the minimum competency as at July 2018. It is no wonder local government is in a mess, with some municipalities … [Read more...] about Critical staff shortages in municipalities open flood gates for corruption

Dear MyPE On Thursday last week, I moved a motion in the Provincial Legislature on the latest Eastern Cape crime statistics. The motion directs that the Provincial Commissioner should annually brief the Legislature on the yearly crime statistics. This practice has successfully been adopted in the Western Cape. In September I attended a sitting of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature, where the Western Cape Provincial Commissioner presented the statistics and was questioned by the … [Read more...] about EC Provincial Commissioner called to account to the Legislature on Crime Stats

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance welcomes the fact that the SAPS have committed to put better controls in place to ensure incorrect information is not provided to the provincial legislature, after incorrect data was given to me on rape and DNA kits in the province. According to a response, an instruction has been issued that the deputy provincial commissioners have to peruse and verify information submitted. We are however still concerned by the report back that stock levels for DNA … [Read more...] about SAPS must improve accountability

Dear MyPE Thousands of women in the Eastern Cape who are raped could be denied justice because the South African Police Service do not have a single rape kit on hand. In a province with 19 reported rapes a day, this is a shocking betrayal of the rights of women. This will cause the already low conviction rate in rape cases to plummet further. It is beyond belief that rapists could be free to roam our streets again in search of other victims, because the SAPS has no rape or DNA … [Read more...] about Rape victims being denied justice as no testing kits available in the province

Dear MyPE The latest crime statistics are cold comfort to residents of the Eastern Cape who daily live in fear of the criminal element that stalks our communities, and highlights the dire need for a complete overhaul of the SAPS. The crime statistics released yesterday show that the bloody wave of violent crime continues to sweep through the Eastern Cape. Murder has risen by a staggering 5.2% (up from 3,628 to 3,815), meaning on average more than 10 people are being murdered each day … [Read more...] about Bloody wave of violent crime continues to sweep through Eastern Cape

Dear MyPE I welcome the fact that a new police station in Bethelsdorp, Port Elizabeth is a “very high priority” for the South African Police Service, but timeframes must be set for its construction. SAPS should put their money where their mouth is and show the people of Bethelsdorp that an additional police station in the area is truly a priority, by ensuring that it is put on a budget and construction begins. There needs to be a greater sense of urgency and progress in this matter. … [Read more...] about Prioritising of new Bethelsdorp police station welcomed

Dear MyPE A staggering R2 053 013 billion is now owed by the provincial government in excess of 30 days or more to suppliers, as at the end of March 2018. These slow payments to suppliers are literally slitting the throat of our economy, as there is less money in circulation as well as strangling the future of small businesses by causing them to go under. This comes against the background of last week’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey, where the Eastern Cape, has the highest expanded … [Read more...] about R2 billion supplier nonpayment contributes to high EC unemployment rate