Letters

Dear Editor The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA), a body meant to oversee the private security industry, told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police that six years later, PSIRA is still investigating who to hold responsible for a massively flawed contractual agreement worth R129 million. The DA supports the committee’s recommendation that the Director …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) will undertake urgent oversight visits to bases, after learning that the property and lands of at least 10 bases is being subjected to land invasions and construction of informal settlements. This is deeply alarming – ongoing illegal occupation and encroachment on South African National Defence Force (SANDF) bases is …

Dear Editor At a meeting this week of the NCOP’s Select Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, the Department of Land Reform once again cited funding shortfalls as the reason for its persistent failure to resolve thousands of long-standing land claims – some dating back to before 1998. This is not true, and …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) is demanding a formal performance review of Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille and the Department of Tourism’s handling of the Tourism Equity Fund (TEF). This review must be concluded and tabled before Parliament by no later than 31 July 2025. The TEF, once touted as a flagship vehicle to …

Dear Editor The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) yesterday presented a progressive proposal to the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services. Central to this proposal is the establishment of a Bail Fund, which will provide financial assistance to first-time, low-risk offenders who have been granted bail of R1 000 or less but are unable to …

Dear Editor The criminal investigation into how over R250 million was misspent by the SA National Defence Force in 2020 on an unapproved anti-COVID vaccine from Cuba, is advancing again after significant DA pressure. Both the HAWKS and the SIU are proceeding with this investigation, and complainant statements were taken in person this week to …

Dear Editor Submissions on the so-called Transformation Fund received from Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), other representatives of organised business and prominent think tank, The Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE), have exposed how the Fund is rejected across wide circles in South Africa. Despite joint calls against the Fund, and workable alternatives presented by …

Dear Editor Today, the Free State High Court has ruled that extradition of former Free State premier Ace Magashule’s ex-personal assistant Moroadi Cholota was unlawful, and she cannot be tried in the asbestos corruption case. The DA will write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice, requesting that the Department of Justice and …

Dear Editor The first quarter’s anaemic growth rate of 0.1% shows that the DA was right to fight for economic growth and hard reforms as part of the budget fight. South Africa cannot sustain itself on low growth. Our country needs higher levels of sustained growth in order to deliver jobs for millions of South …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the resignation of Vincent Blennies as CEO of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), following concerns and controversy around extravagant and wasteful expenditure under his leadership at the Cannes Film Festival. While his resignation may be an attempt to save face, it does not absolve Mr Blennies …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga has written to the South African Human Rights Commissioner (SAHRC) asking them to investigate why patients are denied the use of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner, even though the instrument was installed at Rob Ferreira Hospital as far back as October 2024. The scanner, which was …

Dear Editor The DA’s legal challenge against Parliament’s designation of Dr John Hlophe, impeached former judge, and uMkhonto we Sizwe Member of Parliament, to the Judicial Services Commission, has succeeded with costs. The DA pursued, and won this case, to uphold the rule of law. The High Court found Parliament violated the Constitution by designating …

Dear Editor As of today, after consultation with National Treasury, government departments will be allowed to procure IT services of their choosing, and will no longer be mandated to rely on the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) which has been unable to deliver effectively. Government departments that still wish to use SITA remain free to …

Dear Editor South Africa’s defence industry is in steep decline, suffering from years of neglect, poor leadership, and broken promises. At the centre of this crisis is Defence Minister Angie Motshekga’s continued failure to take action, including her inability to deliver on a long-promised South African Defence Industry (SADI) Lekgotla. This Lekgotla, first proposed under …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance has written to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, Mr Tebogo Letsie, demanding the summoning of Minister Nkabane’s secret SETA Selection and Evaluation Panel. Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) are public institutions established to facilitate skills development and training in various economic sectors, and …

Dear Editor South Africa’s municipalities are in deep trouble, and the latest data from National Treasury confirms it. A shocking 116 municipalities last year submitted unfunded budgets for the 2024/2025 adjustment cycle. This means they’ve planned to spend money they don’t actually have, which is not just irresponsible, it’s illegal. According to Section 18 of …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) presented our progressive Private Members Bill to amend the Prevention of Illegal Eviction Act to the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements on Wednesday. These amendments, if enacted, will play a critical role in saving municipalities from the buckling pressures created by unlawful occupations and land invasions. The Department of …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) supports the proclamation by President Cyril Ramaphosa, establishing a commission of inquiry into alleged attempts to prevent the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes exposed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). This follows sustained pressure from the DA and civil society for these investigations and prosecutions to be …

Dear Editor The DA welcomes the South African Reserve Bank’s decision to lower interest rates. A necessary reprieve for households who continue to suffer under enormous financial stress and deserve any relief offered. While this short-term relief is welcome, it cannot be a substitute for long-term reforms that are beyond the ambit of the Reserve …

Dear Editor The Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has revealed that the Department of Health has spent almost R9.7 million defending the National Health Insurance (NHI) and National Health Act (NHA), where it deals with aspects of the NHI, in court. Considering the crisis in our hospitals this money could be better spent. This …

Dear editor Today’s sentencing of Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appolis, and Steveno van Rhyn to life imprisonment for human trafficking, and an additional 10 years for kidnapping, marks an important step toward justice in the heartbreaking case of Joshlin Smith. While this outcome sends a strong message that crimes against children will not go unpunished, it …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) takes pleasure in releasing our submission to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s so-called Transformation Fund today. Download the submission here. The Department’s concept document has attracted much attention, in terms of impractically. Organised business and think tanks have all been vocal against the Fund, as it will …