Below are speech extracts from DA Chief Whip in Parliament, George Michalakis MP, and DA Leader in the NCOP, Dennis Ryder MP.
George Michalakis:
Extract: “In this 7th Parliament, since Election 2024, the DA in the National Assembly has gained 3 seats, but also entered the Government of National Unity with 6 Ministers and 6 Deputy Ministers.
And within the ranks of Officers of Parliament the DA now holds a House Chairpersonship, in Werner Horn MP, and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, in Annelie Lotriet MP – this new era in Parliament gives us the opportunity to restore its dignity.
The likelihood is that we will have a hung Parliament for many years to come. There is no longer a guarantee of support for bad ideas, that used to affect the country negatively.
Parliament is in a better state than it was 6 months ago.
The DA has already used this 7th Parliament to fight and win significant battles, including:
- The fight to keep John Hlophe out of the Judicial Services Commission,
- The removal of former Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula,
- Accountability for former Justice Minister Thembi Simelane,
- Securing a Committee in Parliament to oversee the Presidency,
The DA has led at asking probing questions to the Executive – with the most written questions to Ministers having been asked by the DA. The DA asked 35.8% of all written questions so far this year, which is significantly more than the 22% of the seats that we hold.
The DA has also driven the legislative agenda, with several thorough and robust Private Members Bills currently going through Parliament, including these Bills:
- To stabilise coalitions,
- The Health Professions Bill,
- Anti-corruption Legislation, including creating the “Scorpions 2.0”
- The Cyber Commissioner Bill,
- Anti-Land Invasion legislation,
- The Remote Gambling Bill.”
Dennis Ryder:
Extract: “In the National Council of Provinces the DA has worked extremely hard to influence all legislation in the right direction. While we do not have the numbers to block legislation, we can and are influencing its formation to get the best outcomes.
Since the Election, 9 Ministers have appeared before the NCOP to be questioned by members of the National Council, as has the President and Deputy President. The DA has used these opportunities to robustly question them.
The DA has asked almost 36% of written questions.
Some highlight questions included DA Member Mzamo Billy using the follow-up question to the Deputy President to get him on record about the BRICS alternative currency and plans to de-dollarize.
A second stand-out question was DA Member Nicholas Gotsell to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, getting her on record about skewed priorities for expenditure in the Military.”
Shooter
Diary of an Englishman after he moves to South Africa….
**August 1**: Just got transferred with work from London, UK to our new home in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa. Now this is a town that knows how to live! Beautiful, sunny days and warm, balmy evenings. I watched the sunset from a deckchair by our pool yesterday. It was beautiful. I’ve finally found my new home. I love it here.
**September 1:** Really heating up now. It got to 31 today. No problem though. Living in air-conditioned home, driving air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun every day like this. I’m turning into a sun-worshipper – no blasted rain like back in London! Had the back yard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and rocks. No more mowing lawns for me! Another scorcher today, but I love it here. It’s Paradise !
**October 1:** The temperature hasn’t been below 35 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least today it’s windy though. Keeps the flies off a bit. Acclimatizing is taking longer than we expected. Fell asleep by the pool yesterday. Got third degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed three days off work. What a dumb thing to do. Got to respect the old sun in a climate like this!
**October 25:** This wind is a bastard. It feels like a giant fucking blow dryer. And it’s hot as hell! The home air conditioner is on the blink and the repair man charged R200 just to drive over and tell me he needs to order parts from @#$# Johannesburg. The wife & the kids are complaining.
**October 30:** The temperature’s up around 40 and the parts still haven’t arrived for the fucking air conditioner. House is an oven so we’ve all been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. Bleeding R4 million house and we can’t even go inside. Why the hell did I ever come here?
**November 4:** Finally got the fucking air-conditioner fixed. It cost R1,500 and gets the temperature down to around 35 degrees. Stupid repairman. Fucking thief. If one more smart bastard says ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I’m going to fucking throttle him. Fucking heat! By the time I get to work, the car radiator is boiling over, my fucking clothes are soaking fucking wet and I smell like baked cat. Fucking place is the end of the Earth.
**November 9:** Tried to run some errands after work, wore shorts, and sat on the black leather upholstery in my car. I thought my fucking backside was on fire. I lost 2 layers of flesh, all the hair on the backs of my legs and off my fucking behind. Now the car smells like burnt hair, fried bum and baked cat. The Weather report might as well be a fucking recording – hot and sunny. Hot and sunny, Hot and fucking sunny. It’s been too hot to do anything for 2 bleeding months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Fuck!!
**November 15:** Doesn’t it ever rain in this darn place? Water restrictions will be next, so my R5,000 worth of palms might just dry up and blow into the fucking pool. The only things that thrive in this hell-hole are the fucking flies. You don’t dare open your mouth for fear of swallowing half a dozen of the little buzzards!
**November 20:** Welcome to HELL! It got to 45 degrees today. Now the air conditioner is gone in my car. The repair man came to fix it and said, ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I wanted to shove the car up his backside. Anyway, had to spend the R2,500 of the mortgage payment to bail me out of jail for assaulting the stupid fool. Fucking PHALABORWA! What kind of sick, demented idiot would want to live here!
**December 1:** WHAT!!!! The FIRST day of Summer!!!!
You are fucking kidding me, right?
Bad Badminton
Yugoslavia: You have two cows. They die right after giving birth to 20 new cows.