Letter

Dear Editor Following revelations in Parliament this week, including the alarming finding of a 140 000-case backlog at the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Forensic Science Laboratory, the Democratic Alliance (DA) will be formally requesting that the Auditor-General (AG) conduct a full forensic audit into SAPS’s DNA processing and forensic laboratories, as well as the …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the Southern African Development Community (SADC) decision to withdraw troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This is a step in the right direction after the dire conditions our soldiers have been enduring. The DA has long advocated for the withdrawal of troops, especially following the intense …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) strongly rejects the continuation of Project Kgala, a rebranded version of the failed and wasteful Project Thusano, channeling billion of rands to Cuba. It must be terminated. Despite the Department of Defence (DoD)’s attempt to reframe the project under a new name, the reality remains the same – an …

Dear Editor The latest provincial crime statistics, released this morning, have shown that the Eastern Cape remains the murder capital of South Africa. Violent crime is spiralling out of control, shattering lives, crippling investment, and killing jobs. The statistics for the past six months revealed that 2 615 people were murdered between July and December, …

Dear Editor The DA will not support this budget. The DA made it clear to the ANC in the GNU that we would not support any increase in taxes, unless those increases were temporary, and the ANC agreed to a series of major reforms that would grow the economy, create jobs, reduce waste and bring …

Dear Editor While the DA fully supports the imperative of transformation in South African sport, we strongly oppose the enforcement of rigid racial quotas that prioritise numbers over genuine development. True transformation must focus on nurturing talent from the grassroots level, improving access to facilities, and ensuring that opportunities are available to all aspiring players, …

Dear Editor The DA celebrates news announced today in Parliament’s National Council of Provinces by Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, that over 93% of the targeted eradication of schools’ pit latrines has been achieved so far across our country. There remains more to do be done, but we look forward to the Minister’s update …

Dear Editor The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) failed to provide satisfactory answers to critical questions regarding the ongoing anti-venom crisis in a meeting of the Health Portfolio Committee last week. The DA has already submitted Parliamentary Questions (PQs) to demand the answers the NHLS has failed to give and will be requesting that they …

Dear Editor The DA demands answers on the South African Navy’s purchase of six luxury Audi Q5 SUVs, each of which retail at over R1 million. This decision underscores the continued disregard for the severe crisis facing the SANDF. While essential vehicles and equipment remain in disrepair or obsolete due to limited funds, top officials …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the announcement by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment, the DA’s Dr Dion George, that rhino poaching in South Africa has shown a downward trend. Any progress in this ongoing crisis is commendable and offers hope for the future. However, this decline must be sustained and reinforced …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, taking decisive action to clean-out bad actors at the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Crime Intelligence unit, but much more must be done to bring the unit back from the brink. Mchunu’s recent dismissal of national crime intelligence head, Dumisani Khumalo, after …

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) urges the public to submit their comments and oppositions on the proposed block exemption regulations that will allow for stakeholders to collectively determine tariffs for healthcare services, diagnosis and treatment codes, and quality metrics. The DA does not believe the proposed regulations will serve its intended purpose to make …

Editor: Is this really wrong? After all, one expects to get better prices if you buy in bulk. Maybe the writer should rather have railed against the Inclined Block Tariffs that result in higher prices per unit the more you consume? Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) expresses grave concern over the systemic lack of …