On Wednesday, 18 September 2024, Premier Alan Winde chaired a regular Western Cape Government (WCG) Cabinet meeting.
In opening the meeting, Premier Winde reflected on recent unannounced visits he conducted at a hospital in Bredasdorp; and a Home Affairs office and South African Police Service (SAPS) Station in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town.
“I must see for myself how frontline services for our residents are being delivered. This is especially critical with devastating cuts to budgets in education, healthcare, and social development with which we have been saddled. Despite these reductions, I was delighted to see how well-managed the Otto Du Plessis Hospital in Bredadsdorp is. By implementing innovative measures to avoid long waiting times, this facility’s leadership team is helping to take some of the strain off healthcare officials across the area,” said Premier Winde.
In an unannounced visit to the Mitchells Plain SAPS station, the Premier met with the new Station Commander and Cape Town District Commissioner Major General Beaton to discuss challenges around crime and policing. Policing is a national government mandate, but because crime has such a devastating impact on our residents on a daily basis the provincial government is stepping in to support SAPS where it can, within its limited mandate. The Premier discussed the doubling up in the redeployment of Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) members to six areas in Cape Town, among them Mitchells Plain, with the Station Commander.
“We must constantly adapt our crime prevention strategies, in keeping with our evidence-based and data-led approach, to the evolving trends in crime. This is the essence of the Western Cape Safety Plan – the acknowledgment that new models and approaches must be explored to see which intervention has the biggest positive impact in our drive to build safer communities. By doubling up the deployment of LEAP officials to areas hardest hit by crime we hope to see a meaningful reduction in violent crime,” said Premier Winde.
Fiscal emergency
Cabinet discussed the national fiscal emergency facing critical provincial service delivery areas caused by national government’s decision to not fully fund the 2023 multi-year public sector pay increase agreement.
Cabinet noted that any key decisions in the public sector wage negotiations for the 2025/26 Medium-Term Economic Framework (MTEF) would need to be submitted for approval to Cabinet to ensure compliance with all the relevant legislative regulations.
Premier Winde stressed, “our government and residents are under extraordinary pressure due to the in-year budget cuts forced upon us. We have to make incredibly tough decisions, which we are doing with the needs of our residents top-of-mind. We are committed to dealing with this issue with urgency and purpose. We are looking at all our options to ensure frontline services are protected as far as possible.”
On the current round of public service wage negotiations, he remarked, “I implore organised labour to put forward realistic demands that consider the deeply constrained fiscal environment. A 12% salary increase is wholly unaffordable, and we cannot support this proposal.”
Poor Growth Domestic Product (GDP) growth
Cabinet noted and lamented the reported GDP growth of 0.4% in the second quarter of 2024.
Premier Winde said that while the latest GDP data reflects muted growth, this is far below the desperately needed growth to help the economy recover from the lingering impact of the energy crisis and the near collapse of South Africa’s logistics sector.
Cabinet called for urgent steps to rejuvenate economic growth nationally, particularly through implementing vital structural reforms which must be driven by Operation Vulindlela to enable more jobs for our residents.
Status of municipalities
Cabinet again raised serious concerns over the status of some Western Cape municipalities.
It was emphasised that dysfunctional local governments must take the necessary steps to urgently rehabilitate themselves with the support and oversight of the Western Cape Government. Cabinet stated that all mayors and municipal managers must step up and demonstrate a genuine willingness to serve their residents.
Cabinet welcomed positive developments in implementing renewable energy solutions in for example the Hessequa and Prince Albert municipalities.
Basic Educational Laws Amendment Bill
Cabinet noted the signing into law of some sections of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill by the President.
While Cabinet noted the pause on implementing clauses 4 and 5 of the bill – dealing with admission and language policies – for further consultation, it remains concerned about a number of aspects of the BELA and has repeatedly expressed this to the President.
The Western Cape Government is of the view that the legislation is flawed, highly controversial, and not constitutionally sound, and the bill should have been referred back to the National Assembly.
The WCG is taking legal advice to prevent the negative impact the bill will have on learners in the Western Cape.
World Bank report Education Sector Analysis report
Cabinet noted and welcomed the handover of the World Bank’s Education Sector Analysis (ESA) undertaken at the request of the Western Cape Government. The ESA is aimed at enhancing education outcomes for learners in the province.
It acknowledges that while the Western Cape has higher learning levels than other provinces, there is much work to be done.
The Western Cape Education department will now analyse the findings and recommendations of the report.
NoiseFire
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?
Shadowdancer
A boer went to the appliance store sale and found a bargain. \”I would like to buy this TV,\” hetold the salesman. \”Sorry, we don\’t sell to boere,\” the salesman replied. He hurried home, took a shower, changed his clothes and combed his hair, then came back and again told the salesman \”I would like to buy this TV.\” \”Sorry, we don\’t sell to boere,\” the salesman replied. \”Bliksem, he recognized me,\” he thought. So he went for a complete disguise this time, haircut and new color, shaved off the baard, suit and tie, fake glasses, then waited a few days before he again approached the salesman. \”I would like to buy this TV.\” Sorry, we don\’t sell to boere,\” the salesman replied. Frustrated, he exclaimed \”Jislaaik, man! How do you know I\’m a boer?\”\”Because that\’s a microwave,\” the salesman replied.