The three-fold increase from 2010/11 to 2011/12 in amounts paid out for legal claims against the province is alarming and means funds that should be available for service delivery are being swallowed up by legal settlements. According to a reply by the Premier to a parliamentary question I asked, two of the biggest culprits are the Departments of Health at R43,148 million and Transport at R18,801 million in the 2011/12 financial year. For the reply, click here. Both healthcare and … [Read more...] about Legal Claims Against Province Increase Exponentially
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East Cape Education Department – Thus Far and NO Further
The Department of Education in the Eastern Cape must stop shifting the goal posts. I have today approached the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee of Education, Mzoleli Mrara, to convene an urgent, special meeting to demand concrete answers from the department for once and for all on the fate of thousands of teachers in the province. MPLs and the public at large are tired of the department’s confusing and dissimilar responses. It is time that the MEC, Mandla Makupula, and the … [Read more...] about East Cape Education Department – Thus Far and NO Further
Questions Around Abalone Harvesting Permits
For a good number of years local residents were not allowed to harvest abalone for domestic consumption. Suddenly a permit for nine tonnes has been issued to a Western Cape company to harvest in the Eastern Cape waters. And for the same period only poachers benefited from this area, with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries chasing these culprits. The local St Francis Bay and Jeffreys Bay communities are up in arms about the recently issued experimental fishing permit of … [Read more...] about Questions Around Abalone Harvesting Permits
Ward 2 Newsletter June 2012
To see how hard working Ward Councillors go about their jobs, see Ward 2 councillor, Dean Biddulph’s newsletter below. Scroll down to see the contact Details for Ward 2. Safety & Security - Light at the end of the tunnel for Hobie parking area Good news at last appears to be on the horizon for the residents an patrons of the Hobie Beach parking area which has been plagued for a number of years by an increase in the number of vagrants, illegal car guards and undesirables frequenting the … [Read more...] about Ward 2 Newsletter June 2012
The Price We Pay for Bad Management
Dear Metro Residents The rapid escalation and intensity of the unrest in Qebera/Walmer township area comes as no surprise and a very clear message is now being sent to those who control the Nelson Mandela metro (Bay protest gets ugly, The Herald, 31 may 2012). This is the price we will increasingly have to pay as a result of imprudently managing the expectations of the masses. For nearly twenty years now, these impoverished communities, desperate for the much promised "better life for all" … [Read more...] about The Price We Pay for Bad Management
Lack of planning to spend budget for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture
There is a total lack of proper planning and budgeting in the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture. The abundance of talented people in our province need assistance in the form of infrastructure, exposure, and back-up support. But the government is eating up its Sport, Arts and Culture budget with little going to our people. A total of R202 754 million - or almost a third - of the Department's 2012/13 budget of R705 454 million is for administration. This allows for very little … [Read more...] about Lack of planning to spend budget for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture
Huge departmental wage bill crippling Local Government
Some 96% of the departmental budget for Local Government and Traditional Affairs is to be budgeted for staff costs and goods and services during the 2012/13 financial year. From a budget of R788.45 million for the financial year ahead, an amount of R757.26 million is allocated for these costs. The wage bill alone amounts to R615 million or 78,7% of the budget. Furthermore, the department has a vacancy rate of 82% with 3 000 vacant posts. In program 3 "Development and Planning" which … [Read more...] about Huge departmental wage bill crippling Local Government
Funding shortfall concerns for EC scholar transport contract
There is a danger that funding for the R210 million scholar transport contract between the Department of Transport and the service provider, One Future 46, will run out by October 2012. Furthermore, an amount of R134 million will be required to cover the budget shortfall from November 2012 to March 2013. Scholars will be the victims of academic failure if they can't access transport to school. If the funding is used up by October, children will be without transport during most important time … [Read more...] about Funding shortfall concerns for EC scholar transport contract
42% of EC police stations don’t answer phones
There needs to be an urgent investigation into the effectiveness of the SAPS in the Eastern Cape to answer telephones. According to a study done by the Democratic Alliance 53 police stations in the Eastern Cape did not answer their phones at the time of being called. (See below) A further 27 numbers that are listed on the police website appeared not to work. This means there are potentially problems at 42%, or 80 of the 191 police stations in the province. This is an alarming indictment of … [Read more...] about 42% of EC police stations don’t answer phones
DA does not support East Cape Health budget
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is not in support of the R15.1 billion budget for Health. The DA refuses to support a Health budget that does not sufficiently address the basic needs of decent health care for patients as prescribed by our country’s constitution. There is a very serious need for the Health budget to be completely overhauled and increased by an amount of R3 billion at the very least. The ANC leadership of this province has seen it fit to decrease the budget for Health for a … [Read more...] about DA does not support East Cape Health budget
Ward 6 News May 2012
The 2012/2013 budgetary process is already in full swing and I would urge you to take part in the public participation processes rolled out by the metro therein. Please remember that it is YOUR money and that YOU have every right to voice your opinion as to how it should be spent. Nelson Mandela Bay Metro: Minister must step in to end chaos in transport system The following press statement was distributed at a press conference hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro on 20 April 2012 by DA … [Read more...] about Ward 6 News May 2012
Stop East Cape Department of Health rot before the money comes
The Eastern Cape Department of Health (DoH) needs to stop the rot before the money comes. The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the fact that the DoH is no longer in denial that it is on the verge of collapse in the province (Daily Dispatch, 23 May 2012). Finally it can work towards recovery be taking the right steps instead of keeping it under wraps. Admitting the problem is the first stage towards resolving it, but now comes the hard work. The current Health budget of R15.1 billion not only … [Read more...] about Stop East Cape Department of Health rot before the money comes
Congratulations to Southern Kings
I would like to congratulate the Southern Kings and welcome the news that our Eastern Cape team will definitely play as a new franchise in the 2013 Super 15 competition. As always, with new opportunities come new responsibilities. Personally I think the biggest responsibility is now on Cheeky Watson to ensure that we don’t go off and spend millions in buying new talent from outside our borders - like the South Sea Islands - to make an impact in this competition. While I agree that the … [Read more...] about Congratulations to Southern Kings
Temporary Teachers now Six Months Without Pay
Three categories of temporary teachers have been waiting almost six months to be paid. While the Democratic Alliance welcomes the rehiring of some 4 000 temporary teachers as reported in the media (The Herald and Daily Dispatch, 22 May 2012), the ability of the Eastern Cape Department of Education to pay its teachers must be questioned. Red-tape and bureaucratic bungling resulting in the non-payment of teachers illustrates an administration totally out of touch with its core function. The DA … [Read more...] about Temporary Teachers now Six Months Without Pay
New Mandela Metro DA Regional Management Committee
I believe that the new Regional Management Committee elected last night will pull the Democratic Alliance over the winning line in the 2016 municipal elections, whereby we will be triumphant in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The 2014 national elections will be a dress rehearsal for the 2016 municipal elections. In the last local election in 2011, the DA came very close to winning the Metro outright. People who have lost hope for an improvement in service delivery in the ANC continue to turn … [Read more...] about New Mandela Metro DA Regional Management Committee
