DA make submissions on SABC editorial policy

The DA has today submitted written comment on the SABC’s Editorial Policy. Today marks the final day for the submission of comment on the review of the SABC’s Editorial Policy, as announced by the public broadcaster’s interim board in July this year.
It is of absolute importance that the public and interested parties have a say in how their public broadcaster is governed. Section 6 of the Broadcasting Act requires the SABC Board to invite and consider public comment on draft amendments to its editorial policies.
The DA, therefore, welcomes the SABC interim board encouraging the public, political parties, civil society and interested parties participating throughout in crafting an Editorial Policy that will ensure that our public broadcaster is truly independent, and delivers quality programming.
The DA has made the following submissions:

  • Editor-In-Chief: The DA proposes removing the GCEO of the SABC from the position of editor-in-chief of the public broadcaster. Top management must not be involved in making editorial decisions, that should be left to the respective line managers, with the Head of News as editor-in-chief of the SABC.
  • Upward Referral: With the principle of journalistic, creative and programming independence of SABC staff as a guiding factor, the DA proposes that news decisions should be made on the newsroom floor, and left entirely to news editors, without the involvement of top management, in order to insulate news decisions from political and commercial considerations.
  • Sanctions for infringement of SABC Editorial Code: In order to ensure that the values contained in the SABC’s Editorial Code are not merely lofty ideals, but rather central to how the SABC makes editorial decisions, the DA proposes the inclusion of a section in the Editorial Code which details consequences for staff and management who violate the Editorial Code.
  • Improving Public Education: The DA proposes that the SABC partner with key Chapter 9 institutions such as the IEC in order to educate South Africans about their civic rights and duties.
  • Local Content: South Africa has many talented actors, musicians and producers who can provide the SABC with quality programming. The SABC must, therefore, in consultation with ICASA, increase in local content at the SABC.
  • Internal Ombudsman: The DA supports the call for the appointment of an Internal Ombudsman, as long as the individual is truly committed to Editorial Independence, freedom of speech, and the values enshrined in the SABC’s various policies and legislation.
  • Events of national importance: The DA proposes that events of national importance requiring live coverage should be limited to, among others, the State of the Nation Address, the Budget Speech, significant conferences of major political parties and state funerals. Instead of the SABC’s programming being interrupted for speeches by various leaders of the ANC.

The DA looks forward to contributing to a draft Editorial Policy once published following the initial phase of public comments.
The DA trusts that our proposed submissions will be considered and accepted in order to improve the quality of content at the public broadcaster.

The new struggle for democracy in Africa has only just begun

The following remarks were made today by DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane, at a press conference at Parliament in Cape Town. The Leader was joined by the leader of Zambia’s opposition party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), Hakainde Hichilema. Mr. Hichilema’s full address is attached here
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for joining us this morning.
Today I am reminded of the words of Coretta Scott King, the wife of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr who once said, “Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation”.
These words were true then, are true now, and will be true for generations to come. Today, all the across the African continent, a new fight for freedom is underway.
For the previous generation in Africa, the struggle for liberation from colonial powers was their mission. Today, our generation is engaged in a new struggle: the fight for a post-liberation Africa.  Our challenge is to free ourselves from the liberation movements of old, who have captured entire nations for their own personal gain. And across the continent, new leaders are rising up to this challenge.
Today I am joined by a pioneer of this new struggle – my brother, my friend, and the leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND) in Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema.
Mr Hichilema, or “HH” as he is better known, has recently been released from prison following a sustained campaign of international pressure by many countries and organisations, including the DA. We wanted to celebrate HH’s release with him and the people of Zambia, but we have still received no reply to our request to the Zambian government to visit that country again. So, instead, we invited HH to celebrate with us here.
Today we are grateful for his release and his safety, and we look forward to what he will go on to achieve in Zambian politics.
Hakainde and I first met almost 5 years ago while campaigning together on the continent, and have since become not just colleagues, but personal friends. Hakainde and I both share the values of democracy, constitutionalism, the rule of law, the advancement of human rights across Africa, intolerance of corruption and a commitment to the defence of an independent judiciary and a free press.
These are the values we believe will bring development, growth, and prosperity to Africa, lifting millions out of the poverty and hopelessness faced every day. We believe in the future of Africa, a continent full of latent potential.
Mr Hichilema is not just a fellow democrat, but a strong businessman who views inclusive market led economic growth as the way forward in building a strong and vibrant Africa.
My partnership with Mr Hichilema and his party is not only as the Leader of the DA, which is a sister party to the UPND and a fellow member of the African Liberal Network. It is also in my capacity as Chairperson of the Southern African Partnership for Democratic Change (SAPDC), a network of opposition parties throughout the region who work together, share best practice and support one another to further democracy in the region and rid the region of corrupt, self-centred “Big Man” governments.
In his country of Zambia, the fight for freedom has intensified over the past 12 months, and democracy is under serious threat. Under the incumbent President, Edgar Lungu, Zambia is fast heading towards a dictatorship. Zambia is currently under a declared state of emergency. This is characterised by increased security measures and the suppression of free speech and press freedom. Opposition party members have been intimidated, harassed and arrested en masse, and have been suspended from participating in Parliament.
However, the world only came to appreciate the extent of Zambia’s instability when Mr Hichilema was arrested, detained without trial under fabricated charges of treason, and subjected to 127 days in imprisonment, without visitation rights, often in solitary confinement and suffering inhumane treatment and violations of his human rights. Mr Hichilema will give us a first-hand account of his experience in a short while.
The simple truth is that Mr Hichilema posed a real challenge and democratic threat to the Lungu rule, and as such was vilified and victimised. This is a completely unacceptable abuse of democracy, and should concern all true democrats across the continent.
Despite Mr Hichilema’s arrest, neither President Zuma nor the South African government uttered a single word about this flagrant abuse of human rights, the rule of law, and democratic process. In fact, President Zuma travelled to Zambia, and met with President Lungu while Mr Hichilema was in prison. And still, he said nothing, as if it was business as usual. Worryingly, this is not just an anomaly, but a trend under the the party of liberation in South Africa.
Zambia played a pivotal role in the struggle against apartheid, and South Africa is a leader on the continent. It is therefore deeply regrettable that our government and President Zuma has done absolutely nothing to stand up for basic freedoms and democracy in Zambia when it is now under threat. The state of emergency now in place in Zambia bears many similarities to the state of emergency that existed in South Africa in the 1980s. Zambia stood up for our freedom then. Why will South Africa not stand up for the freedoms of Zambians now?
President Zuma is now the incoming Chair of SADC. He has an opportunity to reassert South Africa’s leadership position in the region and the continent and to reassert the values that South Africa will stand for on the continent. But our government’s track record does not give us cause to hope that this will happen.
In 2015, the South African government aided and abetted the escape of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was then – and still is – wanted on charges of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
The government stooped to a new low this month by granting Zimbabwean First Lady, Grace Mugabe, diplomatic immunity and allowing her to leave our country after she had beaten a young South African woman with a wire cord in a hotel room in Johannesburg. Grace Mugabe was facing charges of assault in South Africa before, once again, our government ensured she was safely escorted to her home country.
For Africa to prosper as a continent, we must break the stronghold of liberation movements and the dictators which they create. We are going to have to relegate all forms of narrow Nationalist politics to the scrapheap of history.
We are going to have to make a fresh start, and we must begin by restoring the supremacy of the constitutional rights of the individual citizen in these nations. That is the new fight which our generation is engaged in. We call on all those on the continent who share this belief and this vision to join us in this endeavour.
The DA will restore South Africa’s rightful role as a leader on the continent. We will stand up for democracy, constitutional rights and the rule of law on the continent. We will work to bring fundamental reform to the African Union (AU), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) so that accountability is achieved when leaders on the continent abuse their people.
Through existing platforms, such as the SAPDC that I chair, we will continue to push for regional bodies – SADC and the AU – to work constructively with leaders, from both governing and opposition parties in states across the continent to bring about real change in Africa.
Because ultimately, in the words of Coretta Scott King, for Africa to truly be free, we are going to have to win that freedom for our generation.
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika

Motion calling for early elections to be debated next week

The DA’s motion calling for early elections as per Section 50(1) of the Constitution, will be debated in the House on Tuesday, 5 September. This was announced in the National Assembly Programme Committee this morning.
The DA called for early elections as provided for in the Constitution following the 8 August Motion of No Confidence in President Jacob Zuma which saw a record number of MPs, including those from the ANC, vote to remove a captured president.
The reality is that South Africa cannot afford another two years of ANC governance.
With over half of South Africans living in abject poverty, 9.3 million of our people without work and our economy showing no signs of being able to recover from the recession, we need a new beginning.
The drafters of our Constitution foresaw a need to include a provision to allow for early elections for this very purpose. The events of 8 August made it clear that our country desperately needs a new beginning.
The ANC can no longer be trusted to govern and it is clear that South Africans have had enough.
The DA will call on all MPs to support this motion to usher in new elections. Given the enormity of the challenges lying ahead, South Africa cannot afford to have that ANC in power any longer.

DA calls on McBride to volunteer for special leave

Reports have confirmed that Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) Head, Robert McBride, charged with child abuse and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, was granted R10 000 bail in the Pretoria Magistrates Court today.
Given the fact that the Constitutional Court has given Parliament two years to amend the laws that govern the removal of the IPID Head, the DA calls on McBride to do the right thing and request that he be placed on Special Leave pending the outcome of the case.
McBride’s next court appearance has been postponed to 2 October 2017.
While McBride is innocent until proven guilty, he should recuse himself from his position of leadership, pending the outcome of the case against him, given the seriousness of the charges that he is facing.
It was only three days ago that revelations of an alleged clandestine intelligence operations referred to as ‘Project Wonder’ exposed the ongoing interference by suspended Heads of SAPS, Crime Intelligence and Hawks in police operations.
It is abundantly clear that the Police service has been compromised by years of political interference and political infighting for too long.
It is high time that McBride recuse himself from his position of leadership so that attention does not continue to be diverted from the Police’s critical responsibility of bringing down the high crime rate in the country.

DA does not buy Minister Brown’s Trillian excuse

The DA notes Public Enterprises Minister, Lynne Brown’s claim that she did “not know” that Eskom was lying about its relationship with the Gupta-linked Trillian.
The Minister’s comments come after Eskom suddenly made a U-turn on Monday after it initially claimed that the R1.6 billion it had paid to Trillian and Mckinsey was above board.
The DA simply does not buy the Minister’s poor excuse. “I didn’t know” is not good enough and as the Minister of Public Enterprises, she should have known.
It is becoming increasingly clear that the Minister is failing at her job as shareholder representative. Under her watch, dodgy dealings at Eskom for the benefit of the Guptas, have become a common practice.
The DA finds the Minister’s sudden revelations rather suspicious considering that she had allegedly misled Parliament when she seemingly failed to reveal if there had been any existing contracts of engagement between Eskom and Trillian, in a written reply to a DA parliamentary question.
Minister Brown needs to stop digging deeper holes for herself and lay bare what she knows or come clean as to who lied to her.
All those involved in Eskom’s latest scandal must be held to account. These include the Minister, under whose watch this happened, and the suspended Eskom CFO, Anoj Singh, who not only facilitated Eskom’s procurement of these contracts but also allegedly orchestrated the power utility’s lies when this scandal came to light.
The DA has already laid charges against Anoj Singh regarding his work as a Gupta henchmen at Eskom, and we have also reported the Minister to the Public Protector.
The DA will ensure that this Trillian saga is duly investigated at the upcoming Eskom Inquiry.

DA welcomes confirmation that the ANC will appear before Moerane Commission of Inquiry

The Democratic Alliance welcomes the news that the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has finally broken its silence and will testify before the Moerane Commission of Inquiry into political killings.
ANC Spokesperson, Mdumiseni Ntuli, has confirmed the party was “preparing to appear before the commission”.
I will now write to KZN ANC Chairperson, Sihle Zikalala, requesting him to commit to a time and date for the ANC to appear before the Commission, as well as urge him to disclose all knowledge that he and his party may have regarding political murders in the province, even if it results in implicating senior leaders in the ANC.
Anything short of this would be disingenuous and withholding the truth from the public.
After losing so many councillors in KZN as a result of ANC factional battles, it would be extraordinary if they did not provide all relevant details to the commission.
The DA is committed to seeking justice for all those that have been killed as a result of political violence and trying to stop corruption in KZN.

Hawks confirm they are investigating the Guptas for allegedly using public funds to pay for a family wedding at Sun City in 2013

Note to editors: Attached please find a sound bite in English
This morning, Lieutenant-General Yolisa Matakata, acting head of the Hawks, confirmed at a meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance, that “a team” was now investigating the charges I laid against Mosebenzi Zwane, Atul Gupta, Ajay Gupta, Rajesh Gupta, Ronica Ragavan and Kamal Vasram with the South African Police Service on 03 July 2017 in Cape Town.
This follows revelations that public funds, meant to assist the poor, were allegedly washed through a complex web of front companies, and used to pay for Vega Gupta and Aakash Jahajgarhia’s wedding at Sun City in 2013.
The charges include: racketeering, money laundering, assisting another to benefit from the proceeds of unlawful activities, and acquiring, possessing or using the proceeds of unlawful activities in terms of the Prevention of Organized Crime Act (No. 121 of 1998); and submitting false, or untrue, tax returns in terms of the Tax Administration Act (No. 28 of 2011).
The fact that public funds, meant to assist the poor, were allegedly used to pay for President Jacob Zuma’s number one clients’, the Guptas’, family wedding is grotesque and must be investigated without fear or favour, by the Hawks.

DA demands transport for children who walk for hours to get an education

Note to editors: Please see pictures here, here and here
This morning, DA leaders walked to school with learners from Ukuthula Secondary in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Each morning these learners must walk 10 kilometres just in the hope of getting an education.
For too long the provincial government in KZN has promised to provide safe and reliable scholar transport but continue to abandon the learners of Ukuthula Secondary and more than 42 000 other learners in the province.
This will be the first of many walks the DA will go on to highlight how these learners are continuously let down, by KZN MEC of Education, Mthandeni Dlungwane, and ultimately by the national Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshegka, who cannot ensure our learners have transport to school.
What is of serious concern is that the KZN Department of Basic Education has the funds to ensure that fewer children are subjected to these long walks that compromise their education.
As of the fourth quarter of the 2016/17 financial year, the department failed to spend a massive 60% of their budget for the current plans in place, which only accounts for half of the learners who need transport. This failure is simply offensive.
We cannot expect our children to perform to the best of their ability when they have to worry about getting safely to school and they are exhausted before even starting their day. Many children also miss school because they do not have transport.
The KZN education department is continuously failing the children of the province by not spending what they have been allocated but more than that, they have also failed to apply for funding so that the 42 000 children not planned for, can get access to transport to school.
A reply to a DA Parliamentary question shows that KZN, along with other provinces, has not applied for additional funding to cover a combined shortfall of R640 million for school transport nationally, which would allow for all children, having to walk more than 10kms to school, to be covered.
Many children risk life and limb daily just to learn and the ruling ANC government is content to turn a blind eye to their struggles.
The DA is firmly committed to ensuring learners across the country receive scholar transport so that they are able to focus solely on learning and developing themselves so that they can have a better future.
 

DASO condemns the second recent killing at Walter Sisulu University

The Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (DASO) condemns the recent killing of yet another Walter Sisulu University student who has been allegedly stabbed and killed by his roommate after a “fun” weekend of heavy drinking.
DASO will write to the Higher Education Portfolio Committee, requesting them to conduct oversight at this institution and address the safety concerns of the students.
We will also visit the university in the next few days to discuss the issues of violence on campus and student safety with the management and the student leadership.
Aphelele Ntobongwana, an electrical engineering student from Libode was stabbed on Sunday afternoon at the male residence Destiny Two. This comes only three months after Lwando Mantshontsho was assaulted and killed on the Mthatha Campus.
We strongly condemn these criminal acts and call on the University and the South African Police Services (SAPS) to prosecute the student responsible for this.
In recent years, over six students have been killed on Walter Sisulu University campuses with alcohol reportedly playing a major role in the violence.
We believe that our campuses should remain safe spaces of living and learning with all students feeling secured.
Violence on our campuses is not only an issue at WSU, but across institutions all over the country.
We continue to call on the management of all institutions together with the Department of Higher Education to prioritise and address safety issues on our campuses by:

  • deploying well-trained and qualified security personnel;
  • installing monitored CCTV cameras; and most importantly; and
  • strictly regulating the use of alcohol on our campuses and promoting responsible use.

We send our deepest condolences to the family and friends  of the student whose life has been cut short. We further call for calm and peace amongst students on campus in this difficult time.

City-led development is the answer to South Africa’s jobs crisis

The following remarks were made by DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane, at a press conference in Johannesburg. The Leader was joined by the Mayor of Cape Town, Patricia De Lille, the Mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba, the Mayor of Tshwane, Solly Msimanga, and the Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, Athol Trollip.
I met with the mayors of the four DA-led metros of Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town and Nelson Mandela Bay in order to discuss our nation’s current economic crisis and how best DA-led cities can respond to this crisis, ignite economic growth and provide access to jobs in such challenging conditions.
In the meeting, we reflected and discussed DA economic policy and how it translates into city governance; shared best practice between metros; and defined core elements of city-led economic growth and development. Each mayor was given an opportunity to present their successes, challenges, and plans going forward to ignite economic growth.
Moreover, we all agreed on a set of core principles to guide DA-led cities in the economic space. They are as follows:

  • Infrastructure led growth;
  • Zero tolerance for corruption;
  • Fair access to opportunities;
  • Policy certainty and fiscal responsibility;
  • Reducing regulation and red tape;
  • Speeding up ease of doing business;
  • Investing in transport;
  • Investment facilitation including the introduction of incentives;
  • Private sector collaboration;
  • Investment in ICT;
  • Training and educational support through apprenticeships; and
  • Tackling with the legacy of apartheid spatial planning.

These principles guide all DA-led cities, and are already being implemented in various forms.  The mayors also reflected on the urgent need to ensure that parastatals and State Owned Entities (SOEs) fulfil their role as required. Metrorail, Eskom, Transnet, and our ports and harbours are essential to the proper functioning of governments at city level. All mayors committed to engage these SOEs in order to ensure that they do not hinder the development and functioning of our cities.
It is no secret that South Africa faces its worst economic crisis in recent times. Under the ANC-led national government, our country’s future – and the future of the poorest and most vulnerable – is being undermined at every juncture.
Our nation’s unemployment rate is currently at 27.7 % – the highest level since March 2003 – a 14 year high. This leaves a massive 9.3 million South Africans without work. They are joined by over 17 million South Africans who are trapped, dependent on social grants for survival and with little hope of supporting their families, and experiencing true freedom.
Just last week, StatsSA released a new report on poverty in South Africa. According to this report, over 55% of South Africans live in poverty. That’s more than 30 million people, and the graph is heading in the wrong direction.
Our economy has been relegated to junk status, and has entered a formal recession, now offering virtually no hope to the millions of our people left out, and left behind.
The ANC continues to spew out economic mistruths about the jobs crisis in our nation. They continue to blame our problems on “global trends” and external influences”. Yet “global trends” and “external influences” are not affecting fellow emerging economies nor BRICS nations – all of which have lower unemployment rates than South Africa.
Our economic crisis is a home-grown problem, which requires a home-grown solution.
DA-led cities ought to be running lean, efficient administrations that extend all the way to the day-to-day details – answer emails, return phone calls, follow up on complaints. Often dealing with our governments as a small entrepreneur is an endless nightmare of unanswered calls and emails, with endless trips to sort out admin issues. All of this chases away entrepreneurs and makes it more difficult to run a business. I have asked our mayors to set this ambitious goal: let DA-led cities be known for their ease of doing business. Let us be the friendliest, simplest, most conducive places in South Africa to start and run a small business.
What we do in DA-led cities to revive economic activity is going to be key to our country’s future. National government doesn’t speak enough about city-led growth, but I believe this will be the make-or-break factor if we want create job opportunities for the millions of South Africans without work. Yes, national policy is important too, but the scale of employment we require can only be achieved through city-led growth.
In fact, our largest cities already punch way above the national average when it comes to economic activity, and average income in the cities is around 60% higher than in rural areas. This is why people are flocking to our metropolitan centres in large numbers. Instead of urbanisation being a problem to overcome, it is actually key to bringing more people into our economy.
The DA now governs for almost 16 million people, in some form or another. What we do in these metros will have a significant impact on the lives of these people and, ultimately, the lives of all South Africans. And so it is crucial that we go about re-energising our cities in the right way.
I would now like to hand over to each of the mayors to highlight their achievements, successes and plans going forward when it comes to economic growth and job creation.
City of Johannesburg
As the economic hub of South Africa, the City of Johannesburg is in a prime position to address our country’s crippling unemployment crisis. The starting point is to position Johannesburg as a business-friendly city that is open for investment.
In this light, the Mayor’s focus is on making it easier for people to invest in the city through the establishment of one-stop-shops, as well as the investment facilitation desk located in the Mayor’s office.
The City has developed 20 critical “Service Delivery Standards” which relate to planning approvals and service related benchmarks as part of the ‘doing business index’ in South Africa. These are applied across the board to ensure that those who are investing and creating access to jobs in Johannesburg are attracted by the highest of standards. The City now also offers substantial incentives on rates and taxes along transit oriented development corridors.
Infrastructure development is central to city-led economic growth. Johannesburg has thus already allocated close on R10 billion to upgrading existing infrastructure, with a further R3.3 billion allocated for the development of new infrastructure. This development will foster conditions which are conducive for sustainable economic growth and development, creating many more jobs.
In terms of creating an ever-expanding hub of entrepreneurs, the City is expanding the Small, Micro, and Medium Enterprise (SMME) hub network with revised service offering. These will become Opportunity Centres that assist SMMEs to access tenders and provide overall business support, training and mentoring.
The City plans to double the number of SMME hubs from 7 to 14, bringing the total expenditure on SMME hubs to R16 million in the coming financial year. The goal is to have two hubs in each of Johannesburg’s seven regions, where young prospective entrepreneurs can receive support, training and mentoring. The total number of SMMEs supported by these hubs is expected to increase to 1250 per month by June 2018, and 2000 per month by 2021.
It is our view that the economy at all levels must be decentralized.  The City of Johannesburg plans to achieve this in numerous ways. There is currently a plan in the pipeline to revamp informal trader stalls in the inner city, at an estimated R15 million. Moreover, with a total budget of R55.9 billion, the City plans to leverage its supply chain to decentralize the economy by empowering SMMEs by giving them a significantly larger share of city tenders. The City has also allocated R5.2 billion specifically to the economic growth cluster in the next financial year.
Johannesburg has a major issue with spatial inequality as a result of Apartheid. The City has responded by prioritising infrastructure investment in poor communities as well as building a public transport system that makes job opportunities more accessible.
Metrobus operates just under 400 buses carrying over 50 000 passengers daily, some of whom are amongst the poorest residents of our city. The City increased Metrobus’s capacity by 50%, adding 200 new buses to its fleet, providing residents with greater access to transport.
The Inner City is set to be a focal point with large scale investment in high-density mixed use accommodation through construction projects that include artisan training programmes and skills development.
Lastly, the Mayor has launched an ambitious plan to attract private developers to the inner city to alleviate the housing crisis, create access to jobs, and develop skills. The City of Johannesburg is well on its way to achieving its target of 5% economic growth, which will create much needs jobs for the millions of South Africans left out of the economy.
City of Tshwane
In the Capital City, one of the biggest challenges remains the burdensome bureaucratic processes which act as unnecessary red tape which hinders investment, development, and in turn job creation.
In just under a year, the City had made huge strides in reversing this hangover from the previous ANC administration. Since then, the City has approved 256 plans for commercial rights with a total construction value for commercial development of over R10 billion.
A Property Developer Forum will be established within the next month, with a target of ensuring all development planning approval processes to be automated by June 2018 through the use of a real estate module to improve the turnaround time of building plans.
In addition to this, an electronic platform for water and electricity connections will be launched in November this year, which will lead to quicker, more reliable service delivery that attracts much needed investment to the city.
The City will be cutting the cost of doing business by slashing the waiting period for key services, including:
• Cutting the waiting time for construction permits from 169 days to 30 days;
• The waiting period for access electricity will be cut from 104 days to 38 days; and
• Registering property will take a total period of 7 days as opposed to 30 days.
 
In terms of support for SMMEs, by the end of next year the City will have established a comprehensive partnership model between SMMEs and the City through a state-of-the-art blended incubation model – run and administered by a Non-Profit Company. This comprehensive model bridge the divide between city services and SMME needs, and will include skills development initiatives, and graduate and intern programmes.
While the state should not be the creator and supplier of the majority of jobs, the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) plays an important role in creating opportunity in our current economic malaise.  The City will be creating 23 000 EPWP work opportunities over the medium term to alleviate the burden of poverty and ensure people can find work opportunities.
In so doing, a revision of EPWP Policy is to serve before this week’s Tshwane Council meeting to become a pro-skills development initiative and ensure a rotation of beneficiaries for maximum impact by end September 2017.
Attracting investment is the leading driver of growth and job creation at city level. Over the past 11 months, this administration has attracted over R2.3 billion in investment, exceeding its own target. This was enabled by an investor portal that has been established in the office of the Executive Mayor Msimanga which is making headway in fast-tracking strategic investments for the benefit of the city and its people. This highlights that with a clean, competent and service-oriented government, investors flock, leading to job-creating economic growth.
The City is also in the process of establishing 4 regional jobs centres will be operational by the end of June 2018
The development of the Automotive Supplier Park 130 area is well underway, and has five phases of development planned. This Automotive Supplier Park is a manufacturing cluster which houses different technologies, services and service providers, contributing to the sustainability and growth of the South African automotive industry. Infrastructure for the first two phases – approximately 50 ha- has been completed with over 100,000m2 of buildings erected to date.
Under DA-led governance, the Capital City is now open for business.
City of Cape Town
As the Metro that has been under DA-governance for the longest, the City of Cape Town has become the blueprint for city-led growth and development in post-apartheid South Africa. And the facts back this assertion up.
The City remains the top investment destination in the country, attracting over R2.67 billion in the past financial year. Moreover, according to StatsSA, the City of Cape Town has the lowest unemployment level of any city in the entire country. This is not by chance, but by change.
The City’s total infrastructure investment now totals R22 billion, with a further R3 billion spent on repairs and maintenance to existing infrastructure. The City’s target of 20% renewable energy by 2020 – along with its investment in waste-to-energy plants and its court action to force the Energy Minister to allow it to procure electricity from independent producers – are precisely the kind of energy interventions that make it attractive to investors.
Add to this the ambitious MyCiti bus service, with 5 new corridors in the pipeline, the wide-scale rollout of broadband and fibre, the innovative Youth Cafes – where youngsters can prepare CVs, and hunt for jobs – and the extensive red tape reduction programme, and it is little wonder that Cape Town is the country’s most investor-friendly city.
To this date, the City has invested almost R100 million in Wesgro and a number of Special Purpose Vehicles, and in return collectively facilitated over R14.2 billion in investments into Cape Town, creating more than 28 200 direct jobs. These Special Purpose Vehicles include the Cape Information Technology Initiative (CITI), Cape Town Fashion Council (CTFC), Clotex, Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI), GreenCape, and Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPeSA WC).
The City has also launched an inaugural Green Bond of R1 billion – the first of its kind in South Africa – and received offers totalling R4.3 billion in response. The Green Bond has been certified by the Climate Bonds Initiative and awarded a GB1 rating. This has attracted the major investment of the GRI Gestamp Wind Steel production facility in the Green Technology Industrial Park in Atlantis, which will create hundreds of new jobs opportunities.
This is supplemented by the launch of Invest Cape Town Brand, positioning Cape Town as a globally competitive business destination, targeting different sectors, including the Green Economy.
The City has also adopted a Transit-Orientated Development (TOD) Strategic Framework to address apartheid spatial planning, urbanisation and the high cost of public transport, and stimulating economic growth. This is best evidenced in the MyCiti transport system, a world-class public transport initiative, which now also offers free transport for unemployed South Africans seeking work – another great way in which barriers to employment are being broken down.
In an age of information and instant communication, ICT is a necessity for a growing city. Cape Town is currently branded as Africa’s Information Technology hub with more than 20 acceleration programmes and more than 25 co-working spaces, where access to information and up to date technology is available. Each acceleration programme supports between 10 and 15 start-ups every year.
The City has also piloted the Investment Incentive Scheme, which has two core functions. Firstly to provide “non-financial incentives”, such as fast-tracking land use and building plan applications; providing biodiversity to manage natural resources efficiently with businesses. And secondly to provide “hard financial incentives”, such as exemption of application fees for land and building plans; waiving development facilitation fees; debt- write off when businesses meet employment targets; and rate rebate and electricity tariff subsidy incentive.
An investment of over R10 million in the Cape Innovation and Technology Institute (CiTi) and funded CapaCiti, a job-readiness programme that has upskilled more than 900 underprivileged youth from low-income areas – with a 96% successful placement rate.
Lastly, in terms of youth empowerment, R5.5 million for has been allocated to external bursaries, R6.7 million for learnerships and R9.9 million for apprenticeships. This is supported by the Mayor’s Job Creation Fund, where R340 million has been allocated to create job opportunities. The City also provides young workers with a stipend whilst they receive their training.
Lastly, there are plans being implemented to supplement the water supply outside of the dam system, to ensure stability of supply in a time of protracted drought. The City is building water resilience by sourcing 100 Ml per day from groundwater extraction, and 50 Ml per day from land-based containers and a desalination barge. Water reuse measures to provide 50 Ml per day from land-based permanent desalination from Cape Town Harbour is also underway, with an addition 200 Ml from marine-based desalination at Cape Town Harbour and Gordon’s Bay.
Cape Town is truly leading the way as the benchmark for long-term city-led economic development in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela Bay
When the DA-led government took control of Nelson Mandela Bay, it was in financially precarious position following decades of ANC corruption and maladministration. The most immediate task was to put in place a system to restore financial stability. After less than a year in government, the City’s Capex rate is at 93%, and boasts a 93.7% revenue collection rate – the best financial position the metro has been in for over 7 years
Thus far, the City has created 4000 new job opportunities, and has committed to provide bursaries to 1800 students – to the total value of R34 million. Moreover 300 young people have already this year gone through learnerships in the City, to ensure that they have the requisite skills to provide them access to better jobs.
The Mayor will also be establishing a dedicated “Jobs Desk” in his office to facilitate the municipal bursary process, and will expand incentives for business to employ first time job seekers – particularly the youth.
Going forward, the City will establish a professional Trade and Investment Promotion entity, focusing particularly on attracting new investments on Nelson Mandela Bay.
The City also plans to revitalize the EPWP programme, in order to focus on skills development that empower beneficiaries to access further employment opportunities. This will include a skills database of all residents who have gone through the EPWP programme so that businesses can access people with relevant skills.
Lastly a localised ‘Ease of Doing Business’ task team will be established to monitor key indicators of business and slash unnecessary regulation and red tape.

Nelson Mandela Bay is the leading light in the Eastern Cape when it comes to growth and opportunity, and will continue as such for years to come under DA-led governance.

Conclusion
Make no mistake, there is still much more to do to develop and grow our cities and our nation. There are still millions of South Africans left out of the economy – without a job, and without hope of a better future.
Indeed, we will only be free as a nation when every South African – regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or circumstances of birth – has the opportunity to enter the economy and play a meaningful role in the development of our nation.
Amid a dire and crippling national economic environment, DA-led governments will do all in their power to create access to jobs, opportunity and wealth for all – not just the connected few.