Letters

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) is shocked that the Chief Financial Officer of Crime Intelligence, Major General Philani Lushaba, currently out on bail for severe charges including perjury, corruption, and defeating the ends of justice, has allegedly not only entered Crime Intelligence premises but has also met with the National Commissioner of Police. This …

Dear Editor Whilst the plot about the SANDF’s missing millions thickens, Minister Angie Motshekga has again been caught lying – leaving South Africa’s soldiers to pay the price. In a desperate attempt at damage control, the SANDF has issued a media statement confirming that all operational allowances for members deployed to the DRC have now …

Dear Editor The shocking conditions uncovered during an oversight visit to Ebhotwe Primary School in Mdantsane reveal a school in total collapse, failing the learners it is meant to serve. Broken toilets, decaying classrooms, unsafe infrastructure, and allegations of mismanagement paint a picture of a school abandoned by leadership and left to rot. Last week, …

Dear Editor The DA Students Organisation, DASO, calls for instigators of outrage to stop spreading misinformation that a new proposed rule allows legitimate student debt to be reported to credit rating agencies. This is misleading as these regulations have existed since 2006. Educational institutions have been permitted to report legitimate student debt to credit bureaus …

Dear editor In response to a DA question in today’s parliamentary sitting, President Cyril Ramaphosa could not confirm whether South Africa’s ambassadorial nominee to the United States of America (USA) will be a professional and non-partial career diplomat, rather than another cadre deployee. The President’s vague response did not engender confidence that South Africa’s export …

Dear Editor The DA rejects and condemns President Ramaphosa’s decision to clear South African Defence Force (SANDF) Chief, General Rudzani Maphwanya, after his reckless political visit to Iran three weeks ago. This decision undermines the credibility of the SANDF, and has undermined the legitimacy of government. That an SANDF general was in Tehran pledging “common …

Dear Editor The DA is alarmed by the rates paid to water-board chairs and members to attend meetings, while taps sit dry across the country. Notably, in 2023/24: The Chair of uMngeni-uThukela earned R109 500 per meeting, while another member earned R54 000; The Chair of the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority earned R120 300 per meeting; …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to Minister of Justice Mmamoloko Kubayi urging greater whistleblower protection through legislative reforms. Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends and colleagues of Bouwer van Niekerk. The horrific murder of Bouwer van Niekerk last week demands that the Minister take these decisive steps now. More …

Dear Editor The DA will conduct oversight visits to CCMA offices to ensure that new Codes of Good Practice on Dismissal are being implemented in small business cases. The Department of Employment and Labour has done nothing to make CCMA commissioners aware of these new rules, leaving an open question as to whether they are …

Dear Editor The DA has a Bill before Parliament that will stop illegal land grabs and invasions being politically incited – because the DA is committed to addressing the cause of illegal land grabs, not just the symptom of them. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi should turn away from his demolition agenda, to bash down people’s …

Dear Editor A damning new report confirms the extent to which ANC’s failed electricity policy is taxing South Africans into poverty to safeguard Eskom’s monopoly. This is why the DA is fighting for reforms that will turbocharge the economy by ensuring prices that are fair while keeping the lights on. The Competition Commission’s devastating new …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) has formally submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to the Department of Tourism to obtain the full record of Minister Patricia de Lille’s decision to dissolve the SA Tourism Board. The DA has since received official acknowledgement from the Department confirming receipt of our application. …

Dear Editor The DA has submitted written parliamentary questions to Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, probing the very slow progress in overhauling South Africa’s broken parole system, because the DA can reveal a serious and growing problem of parolees re-offending. The DA calls on the Minister to urgently account for why parole reform has …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) is in possession of a letter (see attached) from the Chairperson of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), Thembani Bukula, which amounts to a stunning admission of gross incompetence and wrongdoing in the catastrophic R54 billion tariff bungle that will see South Africans pay billions more for …

Dear Editor The DA in North West welcomes the decision by the COGTA Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to place the Ditsobotla Local Municipality under national government administration as per Section 139(7). Ditsobotla residents can today again look towards the future with hope in a municipality that is responsive and that delivers services. This is the first …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) is demanding answers on why Minister Nomakhosazana Meth has poured hundreds of millions of rands into bailing out ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA), while thousands of workers elsewhere in the manufacturing and minerals sectors are still losing their jobs. In recent months, Ford has cut around 500 jobs, Goodyear nearly …