Cilliers Brink

EDITOR: On 18 February 2021 I wrote specifically about Section 27 in the Disaster Management Act that appears to allow for the almost indefinite extension process of our lockdowmn month after month. See: Why Does The State of Disaster Continue Almost Indefinitely? Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) will introduce draft legislation to limit the power of the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to extend a national state of disaster and to issue lockdown … [Read more...] about Notice given of proposed amendments to Disaster Management Act

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the refusal by President Cyril Ramaphosa to seek Parliamentary approval for the further extension of the national state of disaster. For almost a year now a single cabinet minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has had the near unrestricted power to make regulations that affect every aspect of South African life. Instead of creating a temporary means to get an upper hand over the Covid-19 pandemic, the national state of disaster has become a … [Read more...] about The National State of Disaster a cover for government looting and incompetence

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to submit any possible extension of the national state of disaster to Parliament for approval and review. The present state of disaster comes to an end on Monday, 15 February, and South Africans are tired of accepting without question and debate the national government's decisions on how to curb the Covid-19 pandemic. After months of economically ruinous lockdown and the bungling of the Covid-19 vaccine, the … [Read more...] about President shouldn’t extend state of disaster without Parliament’s approval

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) does not believe that the ANC’s proposal to reduce the number of municipalities in the country has anything to do with improving service delivery. Centralising power is the ANC’s standard response to every problem, including its own legacy of cadre deployment and mismanagement in local government. But beyond the consolidation of municipalities that happened in the 2000s, there is no evidence that bigger municipalities will lead to better service … [Read more...] about Bigger municipalities mean higher costs not better services

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on National Treasury to disclose the details of how each of the country’s municipalities spent its share of South Africa’s R500 billion Covid-19 relief package. This information should be published on the Treasury website, similar to how Covid-19 tenders from national and provincial governments were published in August 2020. R20 billion of the R500 billion was earmarked for assistance to municipalities - to relieve the strain of the lockdown … [Read more...] about Treasury must disclose how municipalities spent R20 billion Covid-relief money

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliances (DA) takes note of the criticism levelled by Human Rights Watch against the South African government and its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The DA believes that the findings underscore our own view that the power of government to impose and prolong states of national disaster, on full display in 2020, has to be curtailed in 2021. In a report released on Wednesday and covered in Business Day, Human Rights Watch pointed to the government’s … [Read more...] about Government lockdown powers must be curbed in 2021

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) takes note of yesterday’s judgment of the North West High Court that contemplates the transfer of government power from an inept municipality to an association of concerned residents. In short, if the Kgetlengrivier Local Municipality in the North West fails to supply potable water to the towns of Koster and Swartruggens within 10 weekdays of the order, then the Kgetlengrivier Residents Association is authorised to take control of the municipal water … [Read more...] about Concerned Citizens Could Take Over Municipality

Dear MyPE Addressing the ANC's OR Tambo School of Leadership at the weekend the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma reportedly said that municipalities must appoint "the right cadres for the job". The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that the minister has misdiagnosed the ailment, and that her prescription is toxic. “Cadres” are in fact responsible for the decline of municipalities, and their “deployment” should be abolished all … [Read more...] about Municipalities must avoid NDZ’s toxic medicine

NDZ’s department a basket-case but pays performance bonuses Dear MyPE Despite two consecutive audit disclaimers, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) paid its officials almost R4 million in “performance rewards" in the last financial year. Facing the COGTA portfolio committee on Tuesday evening, Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma offered no explanation of how this was possible. She also told the committee that the contract of the previous … [Read more...] about About COGTA’s almost R4 million in “performance rewards”