edmund van vuuren

Dear MyPE World Homeless Day [10 October 2020] is a fresh opportunity for the Eastern Cape government to revisit the plight of the homeless and tackle some of the complex issues affecting these marginalised individuals. During the national lockdown, the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development opened nine temporary homeless shelters in five districts in the province. This presented the perfect opportunity to assist individuals with needs such as registering for an identity … [Read more...] about World Homeless Day reminder for EC government to tackle homelessness

Dear MyPE More than 60% of Non-Profit Organisations in the Eastern Cape did not receive a single cent of their 2020/2021 subsidy payments from the Department of Social Development (DSD). In a very delayed response to a parliamentary question from the DA, Social Development MEC, Siphokazi Mani-Lusithi has now confirmed that of the 2661 department-funded NPOs in the province, by July, 1611 NPOs had still not received any subsidy payments for the new financial year. The MEC has blamed the … [Read more...] about EC NPOs go unpaid while DSD staff strike for six months

Dear MyPE Hundreds of Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) are battling to keep their doors open as private funding dries up under the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent enforced lockdown. Fundraising initiatives, many of which require face to face interactions, have all but ground to a halt, while corporate funding has also been severely affected, with funds being redirected to Covid-19 relief measures. In the face of these challenges, NPOs, which are at the coalface of … [Read more...] about Social Development’s non-payment of subsidies continues to cripple NPOs

Despite funding being available for ECD centres Dear MyPE Children are running around in the streets while the Department of Social Development is actively blocking people from starting up ECD centres, even though funding is available. ECD centres are critical for our learners entering the foundation phase. Without this their future opportunities are stunted. In response to a parliamentary question, , Social Development MEC Siphokazi Mani-Lusithi, said only 53 743 children of the 925 900 … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape children must learn in the streets

Dear MyPE While the national debate around expropriation without compensation continues, with the deadline for submissions extended to the end of February, government owned land in Nelson Mandela Bay stands vacant. During a recent Public Works portfolio oversight, 132 out of the 878 land parcels belonging to the Provincial Government in Nelson Mandela Bay were found to be vacant, with no concrete concept plans for usage. In Algoa Park 15,2 hectares of land stands unutilised, … [Read more...] about Government land lies vacant in Nelson Mandela Bay

Dear MyPRE The Department of Social Development in the Eastern Cape has paid out over R7 million to 51 employees who were placed on paid leave over the past three years, pending the outcomes of investigations against them. These employees sat at home, drawing salaries, while hundreds of thousands of people, living in poverty, were deprived of the services these individuals were supposed to be providing. In response to a parliamentary question, MEC for Social Development, Siphokazi … [Read more...] about R7 Million to Sit at Home

Dear MyPE There are close to 800 000 children between the ages of 0 and 4 in the Eastern Cape, but only 6.8% of these are provided with Early Childhood Development services by the Department of Social Development. MEC for Social Development, Siphokazi Mani Lusithi, has revealed that only 73 187 children currently receive an ECD subsidy through the 1 757-government funded ECD centres in the province. This needs to be urgently addressed if we are to end the poverty cycle and build a … [Read more...] about Less than 7% of children in the Eastern Cape have access to Early Childhood Development Centres

Dear MyPE Premier Oscar Mabuyane recently announced that over R9.6 billion of the Provincial Government’s annual budget will be set aside for SMMEs, but there has been no indication of how the spending of these funds will be monitored. The Democratic Alliance believes that small businesses are the driving force of the economy, and that entrepreneurship needs to be encouraged for job creation but is concerned that the lack of sufficient monitoring creates an environment for corruption and … [Read more...] about R9.6 billion allocated for SMMEs, but no indication of how funds spent will be monitored

Dear MyPE The Eastern Cape Department of Social Development must, as a matter of urgency, assign more field social workers to children graduating from the Ernest Malgas Treatment Centre in Port Elizabeth. Yesterday, 8 July 2019, I conducted an oversight inspection at the Centre and found it to be a well-run, state-owned drug rehabilitation facility for children – the only one if its kind in the province. I was also joined by the DA’s Shadow MEC for Education, Yusuf Cassim MPL. The … [Read more...] about Ernest Malgas Treatment Centre in need of better aftercare services and teachers

Dear MyPE The Eastern Cape government is failing to assist the thousands of youth across the province who are battling with substance abuse. As the world marks the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, serious concerns have to be raised around what the provincial government is doing to help youth who are battling to overcome drug addiction. It is common cause that societal factors play a critical role in substance abuse, and with the Eastern Cape having the … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape failing youth battling with substance abuse

Dear MyPE Over 60 learners from Elliot have had their school ripped away from them and have been left stranded because the failing Eastern Cape Education Department cannot adhere to the rule of law and failed rationalisation. The Grade R to Grade 7 learners and the teachers of Long Hope Primary School have been left abandoned after a decision to close their school with no apparent plans to accommodate them. The children have not been offered alternative schooling and teachers have not … [Read more...] about Learners abandoned due to failed rationalisation

Dear MyPE Yesterday the Eastern Cape celebrated breaking through the 70% matric pass rate, but it doesn’t tell the full story. What the Department did not mention is that of the 106,599 learners in the province who enrolled for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) at the beginning of the year, only 65,733 wrote their final exams. The question that needs to be asked is what happened to the other 40,866 learners? Were they culled to boost the final pass rate? If we look further back, … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape’s 40,866 missing matrics

Dear MyPE The recent incident wherein an email was circulated requesting the details of learners who identified as LGBTI so their names could be added to a database, has left no doubt that more needs to be done to create safe and non-discriminative environments, at work, at school, at home, and in at-risk communities. Recently Scotland became the first country in the world where schools would be required to adopt an "LGBTI inclusive" curriculum, including tackling homophobia, biphobia and … [Read more...] about More needs to be done to sensitise people around LGBTI issue

Dear MyPE The recently tabled 2017/18 annual report for the Department of Education shows a department unravelling at the seams, unable to spend money on critical projects, while wasting funds through irregular expenditure and non-core business. This is the reason why schools are not being built and why learners are still forced to go to school in mud structures and use pit toilets! The Department underspent its allocated budget for the 2017/2018 financial year by a massive R213,4 … [Read more...] about Education Department in shambles