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Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance wishes to convey our sincerest condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the marines who tragically lost their lives on board a South African submarine during the regrettable training/exercise incident that transpired in Wednesday afternoon, 20 September 2023, while en route to Table Bay harbour for the mini-navy festival. …
The portfolio committee will issue a summons if NSFAS and the minister fail to attend the next meeting
Dear Editor Reports that the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, has sent the Eskom Board back to the drawing board on the appointment of a new Eskom CEO creates a justifiable suspicion that the ANC cadre deployment committee may once again be trying to hijack the process to appoint a cadre approved by Luthuli …
Dear Editor Despite having two weeks to prepare feedback for the parliamentary portfolio committee on higher education, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and Higher Education Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, failed to attend the scheduled meeting touting an engagement with stakeholders as their pitiful excuse. Minister Nzimande and NSFAS’ failure not only undermines Parliament, …
Dear Editor The DA has today submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, requesting that she release the outcome of performance reviews that were conducted on Cabinet Ministers between April and July 2023. While responding to a DA parliamentary …
Dear Editor In a nearly unprecedented show of political consensus, opposition parties present in Parliament today united in favour of the DA’s End Cadre Deployment Bill. The ANC was the only major party that voted against the Bill. As a result, the DA’s Bill was rejected by a razor-thin margin of only two votes. Were …
Dear Editor The DA’s Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration, Dr. Leon Schreiber MP, delivered the following speech during the Second Reading of the Public Administration Laws General Amendment Bill in Parliament this afternoon. Honourable Speaker, Over the past term, this Parliament has repeatedly been presented with evidence of the devastating consequences of cadre …
Government turned down Limpopo-based Nekwana Trading Enterprise’s application because of shortcomings in basic impact assessment
Dear Editor In yet another twist in the two-year endeavour by the Turkish company Karpowership to supply power to South Africa, it has now offered to donate a game farm to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (formerly the provincial parks council). The biggest hurdle that Karpowership needs to overcome is environmental approval. The company refers to it …
Dear Editor The Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, admitted that after spending R26 billion, the country’s state hospitals and clinics still do not meet the standards required for NHI accreditation. This was gleaned from a reply to a question by the FF Plus in which the Minister was asked whether he could honestly say that …
Dear Editor The Public Protector (PP), Busisiwe Mkhwebane, failed the public and was more concerned about her own interests than protecting the public. The process to remove her from office was the first of its kind since 1994 where an attempt was made to get rid of the chairperson of a Chapter 9 Institution. Chapter …
Dear Editor The Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, introduced the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) Amendment Bill to Parliament even though it has already been labelled unconstitutional by the state’s legal advisor. The amendment deals with the appointment of IPID’s executive director, and aims to give the Minister of Police and Cabinet the power to …
Dear Editor The proposed amendment to the Constitution regarding the frequency of motions of no confidence in the country’s president, Cabinet, a provincial premier or the executive authority of a province is welcomed. At present, there are no restrictions on bringing such motions which mostly results in severe disruptions and distrust in the government in …
Dear Editor With reference to the FF Plus motion to Establish an ad hoc committee on the alarming increase in the number of attacks and murders of farmers and farm workers: There are many reasons why the incidence of farm attacks belongs on the parliamentary agenda. Some of these include the cardinal role that the …
Dear Editor The DA will submit written parliamentary questions to the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, regarding his Department’s proposed ban on headscarves for nurses at public health institutions. The DA has received numerous complaints regarding the proposed amendments to the nurses’ dress code that seemingly discriminate against Muslim nurses’ Constitutional right to freedom …
Dear Editor This morning the DA Shadow Minister of Social Development, Bridget Masango MP, accompanied by DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development, Refiloe Nt’sekhe MPL and Bronwynn Engelbrecht MPL laid an urgent complaint at the SAHRC office in Johannesburg against Minister Lindiwe Zulu, the Department of Social Development, SASSA and Postbank for their part …
Ntokozo Patrick Xulu spent 813 days behind bars
Dear Ms Zulu It is with a great sense of frustration and deep responsibility that I am writing this open letter to you. You and I occupy positions of responsibility to the most vulnerable in our province and country. Previous correspondence to yourself has either not been acknowledged or that which you have responded to …
Dear Editor The ongoing operational crisis at Transnet is posing an existential threat to the country’s export competitiveness and unless urgent steps are taken to stop the bleeding, South Africa’s comatose economy could suffer permanent damage. Part of the reason why Treasury has issued a red alert on the country’s precarious public finances is because …
Dear Editor Tomorrow, 19 September, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) End Cadre Deployment Bill will serve before the National Assembly. The Bill – formally entitled the Public Administration Laws General Amendment Bill (PALGAB) – is designed to replace cadre deployment with merit-based appointments throughout the public sector. To achieve this aim, the Bill would: Make it …
Dear Editor The DA will call for a debate of national importance regarding the failed and late payments of South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) social grants. The recent Postbank payment failure is the latest in a long line of failures to ensure grant recipients get their funds at the allotted times, and Social Development …
Dear Editor During a sitting of DIRCO’s Portfolio Committee to evaluate the ‘outcome and implications of the Supreme Court of Appeal judgement on the New York project; and the corrective measures the Department is taking to recover the money’, it was patently clear from the judgements issued by both the High Court and the Supreme …
Dear Editor The Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla’s actions regarding an investigation into tender corruption in the North West, as well as his response to the DA’s call to place the Eastern Cape Department of Health under administration is a chilling foreshadowing of a National Health Insurance (NHI) public health system. Media reports have …
Dear Editor The ANC government’s penchant for centralization and control has spoiled the well intentioned National State Enterprises Bill (‘the Bill’). While the Bill seeks to enable private equity investment in ‘strategic’ state owned enterprises (SOEs) – a welcome development that aligns with long standing DA policy, the Bill’s provision for a new shareholding company …