Letters

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes that the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) intends to seek between R34 billion and R50 billion from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to fund the so-called Transformation Fund. We strongly oppose borrowing billions for yet another ANC-controlled fund. It is clear that Minister Parks Tau does …

Dear Editor In a sitting of the portfolio committee on International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) today, the Auditor General’s (AG) Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report (BRRR) revealed that DIRCO has financially regressed over the 2024/25 financial year, moving from an audit outcome of unqualified with findings to qualified with findings. This financial regression is partly …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) will use the Road Accident Fund (RAF) Parliamentary Inquiry to demand full accountability for the alleged corruption and mismanagement that has crippled the Fund, and to ensure urgent reforms are implemented to protect public finances and restore the RAF’s core mandate to road accident victims. The RAF represents the …

Dear Editor On this International Day for Decent Work, the Democratic Alliance (DA) focuses on the results that really matter: jobs. Where the DA governs, more South Africans are finding work. The evidence is clear. The City of Cape Town has the lowest unemployment rate of any metro in South Africa, with around 76% of …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes with concern that the Ad Hoc Committee established to investigate Lt General Mkhwanazi’s serious allegations began its work today only to be immediately hampered by unnecessary delays and administrative confusion. It is deeply frustrating that basic procedural matters, which should have been resolved before the committee convened, are …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) has formally lodged a complaint with the Public Protector against the Minister of Tourism, Patricia De Lille, following her unlawful decision to dissolve the South African Tourism Board. The Board had acted within its legal mandate to suspend the CEO over serious financial irregularities and abuse of power concerns. …

Dear Editor Today’s announcement of the “ANC’s Economic Action Plan” by President Cyril Ramaphosa mirrors much of the DA’s “Plan to Turbocharge the Economy,” which identified roadblocks that needed to be removed to build superhighways towards growth and jobs. The ANC’s plan just adds its own failed ideas of BEE and race based policy to …

Dear Editor The DA welcomes the Constitutional Court’s ruling in favour of gender equality on parental leave. This is a step towards recognising the shared role of both parents in raising their children, and allowing families to choose the arrangements that suit them best. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Nomakhosazana Meth, should not wait …

Dear Editor DA governments across our country continue to demonstrate unwavering commitment to residents, and independent ratings and reports confirm this. This week, Ratings Afrika has recognised the DA-governed Swartland and Saldanha Bay in the DA-run Western Cape by awarding them joint first place as the best governed municipalities in the country, followed by DA-governed …

Dear Editor The DA is deeply concerned by Minister Tau’s new proposal of a 3% BEE levy on unlisted businesses. While this proposal may be voluntary in name, its connection to company BEE status means it is unlikely to be voluntary in nature. The DA will oppose any attempts to impose further costs and BEE …

Dear Editor The grand scale looting of R2bn from Tembisa Hospital is a national travesty. A whistleblower was murdered; there is a sprawling SIU probe; and circulating footage of patients being treated in the most inhumane conditions. Despite this, Tembisa Hospital officials still blocked an unannounced DA oversight. It is shameful that even after pain …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) has lodged an official complaint with the Office of the Public Protector today, calling for a full investigation into suspected maladministration by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) Board regarding the awarding and management of seven multi-year refurbishment contracts worth a combined R7.5 billion. While commuters struggle …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) surged to victory, winning ward 26 in eMalahleni Local Municipality from the ANC, in yesterday’s hotly contested by-election. This historic victory in Mpumalanga signals continued voter confidence and great momentum as we make inroads in ANC strongholds, ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections. Voters from diverse communities are …

Dear Editor The hit on the prime suspect in the Murray murders investigation is not an isolated incident. Daily assassinations, a captured police service, a prosecuting authority in disarray and the rise of a mafia state are all the byproducts of a criminal justice system in tatters. This comes as no surprise, as the ANC …

Dear Editor Making safe relinquishment and the work of baby savers illegal will lead to far greater infant abandonment and needless deaths across South Africa. The Democratic Alliance (DA) is repulsed that the Department of Social Development (DSD) wants to criminalise baby savers. The DA will oppose this proposed amendment to the Children’s Act in …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to immediately expand the SIU investigation into Tembisa Hospital corruption. This must include all dealings of Hangwani Morgan Maumela and his syndicate, including Maumela’s latest attempt to secure a R1 billion food supply tender in the North West, as well as all other …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the judgment of the East London Magistrates’ Court finding Julius Malema guilty of discharging a firearm in public without lawful cause. From the outset, video footage showed Malema firing a real weapon. I said so then because the recoil, muzzle flash, and handling were consistent with a live …

Dear Editor The DA has taken decisive action to safeguard the Orange River and Gariep Dam by exposing ongoing sewage pollution caused by the non-functional Nursery Pump Station in Aliwal North. During a recent oversight visit, the DA found untreated sewage flowing directly into the Orange River – pollution that continues downstream into the Gariep …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, to demand answers on why the disciplinary process against UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping has dragged on for over a year at great expense to the public. In response to a DA parliamentary question, it was revealed that Maruping …

Dear Editor On the day the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) is due to expire, the signals coming from Washington and Pretoria on reaching a comprehensive trade deal are positive. The Democratic Alliance welcomes the progress reported from a number of sources to this effect. Minister Tau and his negotiating team, after a false …

Dear Editor South Africa’s jobs crisis demands immediate reform and only real action can turn opportunity into work for millions. Statistics South Africa’s latest Quarterly Employment Survey shows that over the past year, the formal sector has shed 229 000 jobs – 19 000 every month and 630 every single day. Of these losses, 174 …

Dear Editor South Africans face a simple but stark choice: continued decay under the ANC, or growth under the DA. With unemployment at 43,1% (using the expanded definition, which includes youth and discouraged work seekers ) and GDP growth projected at only 0,8% in the second quarter this year, urgent reform is the only way …