nqaba bhanga

Dear MyPE Residents of local municipalities serviced by the Amathole District Municipality (ADM) are facing a humanitarian crisis due to the unavailability of water to most parts of the district. The situation in the ADM requires emergency intervention by the Premier of the Eastern Cape, Oscar Mbuyane, and the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Xolile Nqatha, and I have written to them in this regard: the Premier and MEC must respond to allegations of … [Read more...] about Amathole Municipality runs dry

Dear MyPE Residents of Ward 10 in the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality yesterday reaffirmed their trust in the Democratic Alliance (DA) after the party retained the ward following a hard fought by-election. The DA’s candidate in the Enoch Mgijima Ward 10 by-election, Tokkie Deysel, emerged victorious and obtained 74% of the valid vote cast. The DA’s support in ward 10 shows a massive increase and the party improved on the 46,75% share of the vote it achieved in the 2019 National and … [Read more...] about EC by-election victory confirms growing trust

Dear MyPE Today I was joined by DA Shadow Minister of Health, Siviwe Gwarube MP, and local DA councillors in conducting oversight inspections at Gompo A- and Gompo C-clinics in Duncan Village and Aspiranza-clinic in Buffalo Flats, East London. During these oversight inspections residents complained that the clinics are understaffed, have a general lack of space and cannot provide the basic services they are entitled to. Residents arrive in the early morning hours and have to wait until … [Read more...] about MEC Gomba must provide plan for East London clinics

Dear MyPE After a rocky start, the Port of Ngqura management have given their assurances that they are willing to engage with the Democratic Alliance and will be including the party as a stakeholder in future engagements. The engagement with the port management team follows an illegal go-slow at the port that has wiped hundreds of millions of rands from the local economy. Today I was accompanied by DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, Natasha Mazzone MP, DA Shadow MEC for the … [Read more...] about Port of Ngqura willing to engage on issues affecting the EC economy

Dear MyPE On Tuesday morning, angry learners at the troubled Atwell Madala High School in Mthatha burnt down ten prefab classrooms that had desks, textbooks and other school materials in them. This is part of a growing revolt among learners against the state of our education institutions in the Eastern Cape, coming from their desperation to get an education in a country that is facing an unemployment crisis. We are seeing protests in Zwelitsha, Mthatha, King Williams Town, Nelson Mandela … [Read more...] about Destroying schools can never be the answer

Dear MyPE Despite the illegal strike action at the Ngqura Port Terminal (NPT) having reportedly come to an end, Transnet has indicated that it will take two weeks, at the very least, to get back on schedule. This, while the Eastern Cape economy continues to lose tens of millions of rands every day. The Eastern Cape automotive sector is losing an estimated R42-million a day. The citrus industry, despite a bumper crop, is battling to get their products to market. Worse, the reputational … [Read more...] about Ongoing delays at port killing jobs, economy

Dear MyPE The concept of a Bhisho Precinct, which is aimed at alleviating the issue of office space for several provincial departments, needs to include an integrated approach to revitalise Bhisho and King Williams Town. Thousands of government employees will be expected to relocate to the Bhisho precinct, yet there is a drastic shortage of schools, clinics, accommodation and other vital services in the area. What thought has been given to these employees' quality of life? Where will … [Read more...] about Government Precinct needs to be part of a revitalised Bhisho

Dear MyPE Today, 9 July 2019, at offices occupied by the South African Police Service in the Cambridge Goods Shed in East London, I added my affidavit to a completed criminal investigation into the R631 million Siyenza toilet scandal in the Amathole District Municipality (ADM). In doing so I was joined by Buffalo City Metro Councillors Vaughan Holmes and Dharmesh Dhaya. I had initially planned to lay criminal charges against a former ADM Municipal Manager, Mr Chris Magwanqana, who is … [Read more...] about Siyenza toilet scandal

Dear MyPE On Tuesday, 9 July 2019, I will be laying criminal charges against those implicated in the Public Protector’s report regarding the Siyenza toilet scandal at the Fleet Street Police Station in East London. The DA welcomes the Public Protector’s report into the R631-million scandal in the Amathole District Municipality (ADM), which has found that there was improper conduct and maladministration in the awarding of the tender to Siyenza. The report has found that former ADM … [Read more...] about DA to lay criminal charges

Dear MyPE We cannot build the Eastern Cape on a rotten foundation of corruption, poor administration and lack of consequence management. If Premier Oscar Mabuyane wants to build on these foundations, he first needs to rip out the rot to prevent it from spreading further. Mabuyane’s vision, delivered today in his inaugural State of the Province Address, is ambitious and touched on the right areas but did not provide any new solutions. What is going to be done differently this … [Read more...] about EC SOPA: You can’t build on a rotten foundation

Dear MyPE The Eastern Cape needs clear action steps, not empty promises, from premier Oscar Mabuyane during his inaugural State of the Province Address tomorrow. The Democratic Alliance believes that what the Eastern Cape needs is strong leadership, an unrelenting consequence management system that will hold those responsible of wrongdoing to account, and an honest commitment to serve the people of this province. Key areas of concern are the collapsing local government structures, with … [Read more...] about NO empty promises needed to turn Eastern Cape around

Dear MyPE The DA would like to congratulate the Kouga Local Municipality on passing a R890 million cash-backed service delivery focussed budget for the 2019/20 financial year. The forecast for the DA-governed Kouga Municipality over the next three years looks promising, with the municipality’s available cash-backed and accumulated surplus reconciliations reflecting surpluses of R31,008 million for the 2019/20 financial year and R24,115 million and R36,828 million respectively for the two … [Read more...] about Kouga Municipality congratulated on passing service delivery focussed budget

Dear MyPE Following the announcement of Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s provincial cabinet yesterday, I would like to confirm that the following Democratic Alliance Members of the Provincial Legislature have been assigned as Shadow MECs. The DA wants to see the provincial legislature become a more vibrant parliament where MECs and their departments are held fully accountable and consequence management is enforced through the powers of the Legislature. Sweetheart oversight will not change the … [Read more...] about Shadow MECs ready to hold their counterparts to account

Dear MyPE The newly appointed Eastern Cape Cabinet, announced by Premier Oscar Mabuyane this afternoon, is the one of the most inexperienced that the Eastern Cape has had, and will be hard pressed to turn the province around. While we congratulate the MECs on their appointments, and wish them well in their endeavours, we also know the challenges that lie ahead of them. Key areas of concern are the collapsing local government structures, with several municipalities across the province in … [Read more...] about Inexperienced MECs will be hard pressed to turn the province around