Outcomes of regular Western Cape Government Cabinet meeting

Yesterday, 18 October, Premier Alan Winde chaired a regular meeting of the Western Cape Government (WCG) Cabinet.

Cabinet raised concerns over the ongoing deadly violence in the province over the past several weeks.

Premier Alan Winde condemned the violence in the strongest terms saying, “This is deeply concerning. Crime intelligence seems to be virtually non-existent right now to prevent these heinous acts. As a province, we deserve to know where the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) detective work is and what are they doing to address the deficiencies in crime intelligence. We need a decisive response guided by our Safety Plan to reduce murders and other violent offences. We need to ask tough questions as to what in our crime-fighting efforts is working and what needs to change. We know that our significant investment as a provincial government in visible policing can only achieve so much. We need more powers as a province to intervene in some of the other major factors impacting crime. Gangsterism and the like are an impediment to residents being able to access economic opportunities. It robs them of their dignity.”

Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, intends to call a meeting with senior management of the South African Police Service in the province to discuss policing needs to bring safety to communities.

Census 2022

Cabinet noted the Census 2022 findings which showed that the Western Cape’s population increased by 27,7% from 5 822 734 in 2011 to 7 433 019 in 2022. The province saw the highest percentage increase of all provinces.

The census data is crucial in informing policy decisions and assisting the provincial government to plan better for the future needs of residents.

Among the more salient findings are:

• The median age in the province was 31 years, which is an increase from 28 in 2011.
• 85,5% of households in the Western Cape had access to water inside their dwelling. This percentage stands as the highest among all provinces.
• The Western Cape recorded the highest proportion of households with access to a flush toilet at 93,9%.
• 96,5% of households in the Western Cape used electricity as the main source of energy for lighting.
• The Western Cape exhibited substantial progress in internet access, with only 16.1% of households lacking internet access in 2022, a notable improvement from the 56.3% reported in 2011.
• 88,0% of households in the province comprised formal dwellings.

The Premier stated that in conjunction with other sources of information, such as the 2023 Provincial Economic Review and Outlook (PERO), and the Municipal Economic Review and Outlook (MERO), the census data provides valuable insights into how the WCG can improve service delivery and manage budgets optimally for our residents. The census is also valuable in assessing government performance and planning budget allocations.

It was noted that the Western Cape had the lowest data collection rate at 86% and recorded the highest net undercount nationally at 35.58%. Officials from the Provincial Data Office (PDO) explained that the undercount is addressed by a post-enumeration survey. This is an internationally recognised method to determine and compensate for the undercount. It was also pointed out that the data is almost 2 years old. This must be taken into consideration, especially in areas which are seeing rapid changes. Cabinet was informed that a team of experts evaluated the data and it has been confirmed that the data is accurate.

While high-level Census data has now been shared by Statistics South Africa, further details that will be important for provincial decision-making, are expected to still be provided.

Premier Winde said, “The census is the window that opens discussions. But other information must build on the census data to determine budgetary allocations.”
Budgets in South Africa are shrinking due to the economic slowdown. The Premier said that despite this the province still needs its fair share of the division of funds for education and health.

Cost of living

Cabinet remains deeply concerned over inflationary pressures being fueled by rising food prices. Of late this has been exacerbated by the outbreak of avian influenza in a number of provinces, with one incident reported in the Western Cape.

“Our citizens are being hit harder and harder by inflation and other pressures. This is a massive problem,” the Premier lamented.

Cabinet urged poultry farms to strengthen biosecurity measures and to be cautious of bringing chickens into the province from regions where cases have been picked up.

Extended National Cabinet meeting

The Premier gave his Cabinet feedback on the outcome of the extended National Cabinet meeting, held on 11 October, where the imminent fiscal crisis was discussed. He emphasised, “Budgetary pressures cannot be allowed to impact our frontline service delivery. Good governance has become the hallmark of the WCG. We will do everything we can to protect our healthcare, education, and social development services. We must think very carefully about how to save money and mitigate the impact on services over the medium-term economic framework.”

WCG recognised as a top employer

Cabinet welcomed the Top Employers 2023 award it recently received. The Premier thanked all provincial government employees for all they do in ensuring the WCG was the top employer in the country.