The ANC has once again chosen to use their numbers to protect the compromised Public Protector, Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane, at the expense of fulfilling their mandate and ultimately at the expense of all South Africans who deserve an effective and uncompromised person in the role.
The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services had previously voted to consider the matter of Mkhwebane’s removal, but backtracked spectacularly and have now voted today to not conduct an inquiry into her fitness to hold office at all.
The DA has long maintained that Mkhwebane is unsuitable for the role and with each passing day, it becomes more and more obvious that this is true.
Parliament has failed before to properly exercise its oversight role, in the Nkandla matter. This failure was confirmed by the Constitutional Court judgement which stated that the National Assembly in that matter “flouted its obligations”, and acted in a manner that was “inconsistent with the Constitution and unlawful”.
We should learn from these mistakes, but the ANC seems doomed to do the same again, in a true illustration of their inability to self-correct.
The DA condemns this behaviour by the ANC with the contempt it deserves and will now consider all avenues possible to ensure a full review of Mkhwebane’s fitness for office as the people’s Public Protector.
DA calls on Higher Education Chairperson to subpoena Fee Commission report
President Jacob Zuma has held on to the Fees Commission Report for too long. In fact, he has held onto it for more than 50 days now, while students and institutions of higher learning are forced to hold their breath.
The DA has therefore written to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, Connie September, to request that she compels the President or his representative, by means of a subpoena, to produce the Report of the Commission of Enquiry into University Fees to members of the Portfolio Committee as a matter of urgency.
In this regard, the Chairperson is empowered by Section 56 of the Constitution which states that “the National Assembly or any of its committees may summon any person to appear before it to give evidence on oath or affirmation, or to produce documents”.
The delay of the release of this report has far-reaching consequences. Universities are unable to plan the 2018 academic year without knowing what their income will be. Students and their families are equally frustrated by Zuma’s reluctance to release the report as it affects their futures.
Today, the Democratic Alliance Students Organisation and students from the University of Cape Town will march on Parliament to demand the release of the report.
It is vital that the South African public sees this report urgently, as it is bound to contain important recommendations about fee increases. Universities have to set next year’s fees, and Zuma’s inaction will badly affect students who still do not know whether they will be able to afford to go to university and improve their lives.
DA to request that Minister Dlamini is formally summoned to Parliament
Following yesterday’s shambolic joint meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development and SCOPA, where Minister Bathabile Dlamini yet again failed to show up, members resolved to formally call on the Minister to appear before Parliament.
However, in light of Dodging Dlamini’s history of chronically bunking accountability whenever she is formally invited to Parliament, merely issuing an invitation will not suffice.
The DA will, therefore, write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development, Rosemary Capa, to request that she formally summon Minister Dlamini to come and account.
If Dodging Dlamini again fails to show up, she could face serious consequences for ignoring a summons, including possible arrest.
SASSA’s failure to get the ball rolling on finding a new service provider to pay out social grants is a disaster ushering in a crisis.
At yesterday’s shambolic joint meeting SASSA scrambled to answer questions which can only lead us to believe that SASSA is either uncertain or dishonest about finding a credible alternative to CPS.
The meeting also brought into question the South African Post Office’s (SAPO) readiness to take over paying out social grants.
There are too many unanswered questions and nobody is providing clarity and certainty.
The Minister’s failure to show up to a meeting at this critical time is nothing more than a delaying tactic to once again ensure that the contract with CPS continues.
The Panel of Experts appointed by the Constitutional Court to oversee this entire process, has warned that SASSA and the Minister’s lack of cooperation and blatant delaying tactics will see a repeat of the fait accompli we witnessed earlier this year.
Minister Dlamini is playing Russian roulette with the lives of millions of vulnerable South Africans.
She is busy campaigning in KwaZulu-Natal, instead of carrying out her mandate of serving the people and she cannot be allowed to escape accountability again.
52 South Africans murdered, 109 raped and 46 hijacked every day.
Today’s release of the Annual Crime Statistics shockingly revealed that violent and organised crimes tragically continue to increase and there have been 52 murders, 109 rapes and 46 hijacking victims every day in South Africa.
This is in large part, a direct result of the chronic under-training, under-staffing, under-resourcing and under-equipping (the four U’s) of the South African Police Services (SAPS), combined with crime intelligence-in-crisis and detectives-in-distress. This means that the SAPS is unable to tackle organised crime and the syndicates who drive it and lack a strong, skilled investigative capacity to ensure high detection and conviction rates.
What is beyond doubt is that the Police Minister, Fikile Mbalula, is ultimately responsible for the allocation of SAPS resources. It is up to him to take the nation into his confidence and to tell us what concrete plans he has to address this national crisis.
– DA Shadow Minister of Police Zakhele Mbhele
We must also question whether or not these statistics are a true reflection of the level of crime, as research does seem to point to under-reporting and under-recording of crimes.
We expect a detailed plan on how Minister, Fikile Mbalula will address the four U’s, professionalise the police service and ensure fit and proper police leadership.
Click here to read the full statement by DA Shadow Minister of Police Zakhele Mbhele.
PRASA fighting ANC battles by removing SAA billboard
We learnt late yesterday that our billboard, which highlights the ANC-led government’s misuse and abuse of the people’s money, has been removed due to pressure from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa.
We are therefore considering legal action against PRASA who we believe acted outside of their jurisdiction and authority by ordering that the billboard be removed.
PRASA, who owns the land outside Park Station where the billboard was erected rents the space to third parties. To now claim that we needed to seek permission from them for the billboard to be erected, despite the billboard not being owned by them, is opportunistic. Also, we were granted permission from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department for our event and signed a contract with the billboard owner to rent the space.
Ahead of yesterday’s billboard unveiling, PRASA deployed extra security personnel to move our Activists from the public area under the billboard, and became forceful and disrespectful when we tried to explain the process we had followed with JMPD. Our event proceeded under the forceful watch of PRASA security and officials.
It is clear that the ANC has been deeply shaken by truth told by our billboard and have therefore used PRASA as a soldier in their war of hiding the truth from thousands of South Africans who pass through Park Station on a daily basis.
South Africans are begging for a new beginning and the billboard allows South Africans to make an informed decision when they head to the ballot box in 2019. Gone are the days of the ANC lying and looting without consequence.
Parliamentary inquiry into Transnet Chinese locomotive deal gains momentum
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the adoption of a document by the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry outlining the scope and focus of the planned inquiry into the local procurement component of the Chinese sourced Transnet locomotives.
The inquiry follows shocking revelations that China South Rail (CSR) used a Gupta front company, Tequesta Group Ltd, for ‘advisory services’ to help secure a deal to supply 359 of the 1064 locomotives tendered for by Transnet.
Details of the deal indicate that, for each R50 million spent by Transnet on the locomotives, R10 million was paid to Tequesta as an ‘advisory fee’. It is also clear, through “Gupta-Leak emails”, that the family may have scored nearly R6 billion worth of ‘fees’ without a single locomotive being built in South Africa. Incredibly, there we no penalty clauses for failure to meet local procurement requirements.
This seems highly suspicious and an attempt to allow CSR to abscond from their local content requirements as required by government policy.
The Transnet locomotive deal has all the hall marks of the infamous ‘Arms Deal’ which saw South Africa spend billions, with little benefit to South African manufactures as was required.
In truth, the CSR contract is one example of the monumental rip off for South African taxpayers by seemingly unethical corporations. The DA believes this type of failure to implement localisation is severely hindering our manufacturing sector and preventing it from growing, therefore affecting overall economic growth.
Parliament has been presented with an opportunity to get at the bottom of why State-Owned Entities and Government Departments allowed hundreds of billions to be spent while local content requirements were ignored every step of the way.
Make no mistake, the DA will ensure that the spot light of accountability is shone brightly on what potentially could be termed ’The Great South African Rip Off’. We want manufactures to benefit from government spending but this can only happen if hold governments’ feet to the fire and ensure they support local business.
DA confirms Vuwani matrics have sat for their first exam
The DA would like to wish all matriculants well for the final exams of their schooling career. These exams are a very important part of building a brighter future and we hope that all the hard work will pay off.
Today, the DA visited the Vhafamadi and Vhudzani High Schools in Vuwani. The violent protests in the area last year prevented students from writing their final exams. This year, we are pleased to confirm that final exams are going ahead with no interruptions.
However, many learners in the country are affected by strike action, preventing them from learning and writing key exams.
This is why the DA has proposed that the posts of principals, deputy principals and other critical staff be declared essential services, meaning that they will not be able to strike, while other educational posts do. These key educators will be able to supervise and care for learners’ wellbeing whenever there is strike action allowing them to focus on their education.
The DA commends the resilience of the learners and staff across the country who have committed themselves to getting and providing the best education they can. Education is a vital step for eradicating poverty and accessing a brighter future and must be protected.
#CrimeStats: 52 South Africans murdered, 109 raped and 46 hijacked every day
Today’s release of the Annual Crime Statistics shockingly revealed that violent and organised crimes tragically continue to increase and there have been 52 murders, 109 rapes and 46 hijacking victims every day in South Africa.
In particular, the Crime Stats highlighted that there has been a rise in the following crimes:
· Murder is up by 1.8%, from 51 per day to 52;
· Carjackings are up by 14.5%, from 41 a day to a terrifying 46, with carjackings having almost tripled in Mpumalanga;
· Residential robberies increased by over 7%;
· Non-residential (business) robberies increased by 5%;
· Cash-in-transit heists almost tripled in two years;
· Stock theft increased by almost 9%;
· Illegal possession of firearms increased by over 9%; and
· Drug-related crime increased by almost 13%.
This is in large part, a direct result of the chronic under-training, under-staffing, under-resourcing and under-equipping (the four U’s) of the South African Police Services (SAPS), combined with crime Intelligence-in-crisis and detectives-in-distress, meaning that the SAPS is unable to tackle organised crime and the syndicates who drive it and lack a strong, skilled investigative capacity to ensure high detection and conviction rates.
The four U’s, combined with poor leadership, low professionalism and weak accountability in the police service all mean that the SAPS is unable to get a grip on and successfully bring crime down.
We all know that crime in South Africa is unacceptably high. Every single person in South Africa knows what it is to fear for their life and the lives of their loved ones. Our communities are under attack and children cannot walk down the street without fearing for their lives.
What is even more terrifying is that far too many South Africans have reason to fear the SAPS, the very people who are meant to protect us.
We must also question whether or not these statistics are a true reflection of the level of crime as research does seem to point to under-reporting and under-recording of crimes.
What is beyond doubt is that the Police Minister, Fikile Mbalula, is ultimately responsible for the allocation of SAPS resources. It is up to him to take the nation into his confidence and to tell us what concrete plans he has to address this national crisis.
The DA expects a detailed plan on how he will address the four U’s, professionalise the police service and ensure fit and proper police leadership.
It is time for the Minister to step outside of ‘Planet Mbalula’ in his Twitter universe and to make sure the SAPS have what they need to fight crime and ensure safe streets and safe homes in South Africa.
Secret budget prioritization document should be made public
The reply to DA Shadow Minister of Finance, David Maynier MP’s, request for access, in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (No. 2 of 2000), to the document setting out the budget priorities, referred to as the “Mandate Paper”, can be found here.
The Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Jeff Radebe, who appears to be the new “budget tsar”, has refused my request for access to a document setting out government’s budget priorities, on the grounds that it is a “classified cabinet record”, just days before the medium-term budget policy statement is delivered in Parliament.
On 18 September 2017 I submitted a request for access to the so-called “Mandate Paper”, in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (No. 2 of 2000), which sets out government’s budget priorities, in term of a new “budget prioritization framework”.
However, in a letter dated 17 October 2017, my request was refused on the grounds that the “Mandate Paper” was a “classified cabinet record”.
The fact that the document setting out government’s budget priorities is classified and cannot be made public is bizarre, especially when the Constitution specifically states that the “budgetary processes must promote transparency”.
Worse, the reply states that:
“…the Minister indicated that the Mandate Paper is an instrument for budget prioritisation, and the process through which it is developed will be strengthened as part of the process of institutionalizing planning, which includes the introduction of legislation. At this stage it is part of the process that will culminate into the engagement of all stakeholders towards institutionalisation of planning more broadly, which will kick-start during the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Forum hosted by DPME on 12 and 13 October 2017.”
What this really means is unclear but what it does suggest is that, when it comes to the budget prioritization process, chaos reigns in government just days before the medium-term budget policy statement is delivered in Parliament.
That is why I have requested the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance, Yunus Carrim, to request the Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Jeff Radebe, to make a presentation on the budget prioritization process at the briefing on medium-term budget policy statement scheduled to take place on Thursday 26 October 2017 in Parliament.
Billions thrown at SAA while 4 children a day die of starvation
South African Airways (SAA) is a black-hole robbing South Africans of resources that could be better used in
areas such as job opportunities, education, service delivery, and poverty and hunger alleviation.
Four children die a day of hunger, but the ANC government would rather spend R35 billion of the people’s money to continue flying their rich friends across the country and abroad.
The SAA saga is all part of the ANC and Jacob Zuma’s programme of capturing, corrupting and collapsing various state entities in order to extend patronage to cabal of liars and looters who form part of the ANC and Jacob Zuma’s criminal network. – DA leader Mmusi Maimane
Despite countless boards being hired and fired, and turnaround strategies implemented, SAA remains an economic burden for the people of South Africa.
SAA must be placed into business rescue until it has stabilised, and then it must be dismantled and sold. By selling SAA, billions of Rands will be saved, which can used to usher in a new beginning for 30 million poverty-stricken South Africans, provide quality education for students by providing bursaries, and ensure that quality services are delivered to our people.
We don’t need to carry on propping up a national carrier for the sake of a corrupt elite, at the cost of millions of desperately poor South Africans. Life will carry on after SAA, but only with more money for the poor and less for the corrupt. Which is the way it should be. – DA leader Mmusi Maimane