Dear MyPE A petition signed by 208 people to have the 2.3km of dirt road leading to the tourist town of Nieu Bethesda tarred, has been submitted to the Eastern Cape Legislature by the DA. The Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape received a petition from residents of Nieu-Bethesda regarding the condition of the provincial road leading into the town. This week I submitted the petition to the Petitions Committee of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature for investigation. The tourist … [Read more...] about Petition to have Nieu-Bethesda road tarred escalated
vicky knoetze
Calls on Cooperative Governance MEC to investigate maladministration in Walter Sisulu Municipality
Dear MyPE The MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Fikile Xasa, will be compelled to conduct an investigation into Walter Sisulu Local Municipality (Aliwal North, Jamestown, Venterstad, Steynsburg and Burgersdorp) after the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape wrote to him, highlighting instances of maladministration in the municipality. The investigation into Walter Sisulu Local Municipality must be done in terms of section 106 of the Systems Act which states that if … [Read more...] about Calls on Cooperative Governance MEC to investigate maladministration in Walter Sisulu Municipality
Calls for safety audit of all lifts in the Eastern Cape maintained by departments of public works
Dear MyPE The national Minister of Public Works, Thembelani Nxesi, must tell us whether the Mount Road Police Station lift that plummeted yesterday has been properly maintained and whether or not there is a proper maintenance plan that has been implemented for the assets of public works in the province. This incident has sent shock waves throughout the province. People are questioning whether or not it is safe to get into lifts in public buildings that are owned by the Department of Public … [Read more...] about Calls for safety audit of all lifts in the Eastern Cape maintained by departments of public works
Judgment about farm roads is an indictment on the Department of Roads and Public Works
Dear MyPE I have today put in legislature questions to the MEC for Roads and Public Works, Weziwe Tikana, to ascertain how they are going to budget for claims from farmers for road repairs and what communication has taken place between then and farmer's associations. Unless there is clarity around these issues, the department is going to find itself in a huge mess. The extent of the financial implication can be found in the fact that the department estimates that of the 77 336km of the … [Read more...] about Judgment about farm roads is an indictment on the Department of Roads and Public Works
Clear parameters needed on suspension of Dr Beyers Naudé Municipal Manager
Dear MyPE The Council in Dr Beyers Naudé Municipality yesterday resolved that the controversial Municipal Manager, Martin Noel Pietersen, be suspended. The DA calls on the Council to set clear parameters for the suspension of the Municipal Manager. Mr Pietersen must not be allowed to drag the matter of his appeal on for an indefinite period of time and cripple service delivery in the process. The municipality cannot afford to be without a full-time, focussed, dedicated administrative … [Read more...] about Clear parameters needed on suspension of Dr Beyers Naudé Municipal Manager
Roads and Transport officials line up for “one for the road” after workshop
Dear MyPE "One for the Road" was the order of the day at a workshop hosted by the Department of Roads and Public Works recently. I personally witnessed, together with other DA-MPLs, how officials from the department lined up on the grass at the swimming pool to receive a beer shortly before their departure after their workshop at Mpekweni Beach Resort on Friday, 23 September 2016. Service delivery must come before boozy workshops. The department spent R338 849 on the two-day workshop to … [Read more...] about Roads and Transport officials line up for “one for the road” after workshop
Taxpayers foot over R74-million bill in Department of Roads and Public Works legal costs
Dear MyPE The Department of Roads and Public Works (DRPW) in the Eastern Cape must take drastic action to address the rapidly deteriorating roads network to avoid a further influx of legal claims against the Department. In a response to a question for written reply that was posed to the MEC for Roads and Public Works, Thandiswa Marawu, it was determined that the Department of Roads and Public Works in the Eastern Cape has spent over R74-million of taxpayer's money on legal claims and costs … [Read more...] about Taxpayers foot over R74-million bill in Department of Roads and Public Works legal costs
Lives of Addo township children in grave danger
Dear MyPE The children of Addo’s Valencia Township are in grave danger of falling sick with life-threatening diseases because they are swimming in sewage-contaminated storm water channels. In a fair society, poor communities are not abandoned and they are not deprived of their human dignity. This impoverished community has been abandoned by the Sunday’s River Valley Municipality (SRVM) and the ANC. Lives matter. One of the nameless streets in Valencia has been transformed into a … [Read more...] about Lives of Addo township children in grave danger
DA requests SAPS to act on plundering of lemon orchards in Sunday’s River Valley
Dear MyPE The plundering of the orchards in the Sunday's River Valley by a highly organised criminal network is placing thousands of jobs at risk and must stop. Millions of rands worth of lemons are being stripped from orchards in the valley using 30-ton trucks and bakkies that are driven into the orchards at night. Export-quality lemons are being targeted, which can sell for more than R10 000 a ton. On Friday myself and DA Shadow MEC for Safety and Security, Bobby Stevenson MPL, … [Read more...] about DA requests SAPS to act on plundering of lemon orchards in Sunday’s River Valley
3 000 potholes remain unrepaired in Sunday’s River Valley
Dear MyPE There are over 3 000 potholes in the Sunday's River Valley Municipality (SRVM), but it remains unlikely that they will be repaired soon. It is inconceivable that a region with the second largest contribution to the economy of the Eastern Cape is constrained by collapsing infrastructure. This has a direct negative effect on the economy of SRVM in particular and the Eastern Cape in general. In response to legislature questions I submitted to the MEC of Cooperative Governance … [Read more...] about 3 000 potholes remain unrepaired in Sunday’s River Valley
Irregular expenditure in Sunday’s River Valley out of control
Dear MyPE Despite violent resident protest in Kirkwood that made the national news two years ago after the local council wrote off R84. 5-million in irregular expenditure, Sunday's River Valley Municipality (SRVM) is at it again. This time, a whopping R72-million in irregular expenditure has been incurred in the 2014/15 financial year, R42-million more than initially communicated to the council. In a society that is free and fair, one simply cannot allow that a small municipality such as … [Read more...] about Irregular expenditure in Sunday’s River Valley out of control
Suspension of water supply to Sunday’s River Valley
Dear MyPE It has come to the attention of the Democratic Alliance that the Sundays River Valley Municipality has failed to make payments to the Lower Sundays River Water User Association since July of this year. The outstanding debt amounts to R 1 005 569.45. The citrus industry in the Sundays River Valley is the second largest contributor to the economy of the Eastern Cape. Restricting or suspending water supply will not only infringe the constitutional right of everyone to have access to … [Read more...] about Suspension of water supply to Sunday’s River Valley
NMBM short changed with roads maintenance service level agreement
Dear MyPE In last weeks' sitting for Taking the Legislature to the People in NMBM, Roads and Public Works MEC Tandiswa Marawu revealed in a reply to questions that the Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the Province of the Eastern Cape and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM) only amounts to R5-million for this financial year. It is estimated that at least R50-million is needed to adequately fund the SLA between the Province and the Metro. The SLA must cover general maintenance, … [Read more...] about NMBM short changed with roads maintenance service level agreement
Sanral urged to open a temporary slipway on the N2 Westbound or find alternative solution
Dear MyPE Action must be taken as a matter of urgency and with immediate effect otherwise people of Nelson Mandela Bay will continue to be negatively affected by the traffic congestion that is currently causing havoc on the N2 in Port Elizabeth due to road works that are planned to continue for the next 16 months until December 2016. The DA proposes for a slip way to be created onto one of the N2 Westbound lanes to accommodate traffic from 06:00 to 09:00 from Mondays to Fridays as the … [Read more...] about Sanral urged to open a temporary slipway on the N2 Westbound or find alternative solution
No Funding for Road Markings in Sarah Baartman District
Dear MyPE The DA is outraged by the fact that no funding was made available for road markings on provincial roads for the entire Sarah Baartman District. The Sarah Baartman District includes the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Blue Crane, Koukamma, Ikwezi, Baviaans, Makana, Kouga, Sunday’s River, Camdeboo & Ndlambe. The DA will appeal to the MEC: Roads and Public Works to allocate more funding for road signage and road markings in order to ensure that people have access to economic … [Read more...] about No Funding for Road Markings in Sarah Baartman District
