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Premier Makhura: We need visionary thinking, not more of the same

During his State of the Province Address (SOPA), Gauteng Premier, David Makhura, laid down his administration’s vision for the future of the province.

 

However noble his plans may be, a large portion of the success expected of him depends on factors beyond his control.

 

From private sector investment, local government, increased telecommunication capability and corruption – Premier Makhura has painted himself into a tight corner.

 

The DA Caucus in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature has examined the contents of the premier’s wish list and has identified key stumbling points in his vision for Gauteng.

 

Below are excerpts from speeches delivered by DA members during the debate on the SOPA.

 

The complete speeches can be found by clicking here.

 

E-tolls

“The people of this province have on numerous occasions and on numerous platforms said that e-tolls must go, yet the premier and the ANC refused to recommend they be scrapped. Only one solution remains, and that is for the premier to announce a provincial referendum on the future of e-tolls. No hybrid system of toll collection is acceptable to the people of Gauteng.”

 

John Moodey MPL, DA Gauteng Provincial Leader.

 

Education

“We need better resources to ensure that our schools environment is conducive for learning and teaching. The approach adopted by this government to attract, retain, up-skill and retrain teachers is weak, considering that many teachers received shoddy education and the country is in desperate need to produce certain skills.”

 

Khume Ramulifho MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education.

 

Infrastructure

We are barely able to spend R1, 5 billion a year on infrastructure in this province. Last year the infrastructure underspend was R643 million. This year, with  one and a half months to go before the end of the financial year, the spend on the core functions of the infrastructure development department, amounts to 53% and equates to R1,5 billion that has to be spent before the end of March.

 

Alan Fuchs MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Infrastructure Development

 

Economic Development

“The Premier has made no mention of using Independent Power Producers. He needs to pressurise his comrades in national government to move on the enabling legislation. A veil of secrecy currently surrounds exactly who these producers are and how much energy they are capable of producing. Eskom’s monopoly needs to be broken.”

 

Janet Semple MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Economic Development.

 

“The reason we don’t have black industrialists is because the ANC prefers taking shares in existing big firms to enrich its ruling clique from time to time, instead of decisively transforming the economic environment so that small black businesses can compete. There is always lip service to reducing red tape before introducing more. Provided there isn’t any delays and corruption, it would take 22 days to start a small business in South Africa if you jump through all the government hoops. In New Zealand, it takes 24 hours.”

 

Ashor Sarupen MPL, DA Gauteng finance committee member.

 

Transport

“On transport matters the premier spoke of the O R Tambo Aerotropolis as a saviour for the Ekurhuleni economy, but the land around the airport is already too expensive for this scheme to ever succeed.”

“He lauded the bus rapid transit undertakings in the three metros but one has not got off the ground, one is presently moribund because of an illegal strike and the third is mired in controversy and allegations of corruption and graft.”

 

Dr Neil Campbell MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Transport.

 

Local Government

“I listened to the Premier’s speech in anticipation that I would hear how we will address the failing service delivery in our municipalities. I was hoping there will be plan to address how we will help those municipalities in Gauteng, which are either bankrupt or on the brink of bankruptcy, turn around to being investor friendly, service delivery orientated, financially healthy running municipalities. But I got none of the above.”

 

Solly Msimanga MPL, DA Provincial Chairperson.

 

Finance

“…your R32bn infrastructure budget is no more and no less what than has been budgeted each year for the past 5 years. It is nothing new. In fact, due to inflation, you are spending less in real terms than you have before. It is ‘business as usual’. With respect, the provincial government cannot be about ‘business as usual’; it has to be about ‘radical change’.”

 

Mike Moriarty MPL, DA Shadow MEC for Finance.

 

Public Accounts

“Annually, SCOPA makes recommendations to this House on how to make the Provincial Government accountable, responsive, transparent and clean. I could give you an incredibly long list of resolutions of this House which have been ignored or only partially complied with. Most of the guilty MECs and senior officials remain in positions of extreme responsibility, regardless of their contempt of the House. Do you have the right people around you, Mr Premier?”

 

Glenda Steyn, MPL, DA Spokesperson on SCOPA.

 

Media Enquiries:

John Moodey

DA Gauteng Leader

082 960 3743

 

Mike Moriarty

DA Gauteng Chief Whip

082 492 4410

 

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700 000 Human settlement backlog contradicts Premiers megacity promise

During the 2015 SOPA debate,  Human Settlements MEC,  Jacob Mamabolo failed to explain why the 700 000 housing backlog has not yet been dealt with.

 

As it stands the current the Human Settlements Department’s capacity is 30 000 houses a year.

 

At this rate the department will take 23 years to deal with the current backlog.

 

The MEC’s inability to respond to the when the backlog will be dealt with is startling –  given Premier David Makhura’s promise of building five new megacities.

 

Such cities are usually characterised by growing infrastructure which equates to increased communities. Failure to address the human settlements backlog will see a domino effect of failed development of the Gauteng City Region.

 

The repeated failures by the Human settlements department to achieve its own grand goals will not go unnoticed. Gone are the days where the electorate will be hoodwinked by the ANC’s empty promises and it will face the voters’ wrath at the 2016 polls.

 

Media Enquiries:

Mervyn Cirota MPL

DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Human Settlements

060 558 8312

 

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SPEECH ON THE DEBATE ON PREMIER’S STATE OF THE PROVINCE ADDRESS BY MRS. GLENDA STEYN DELIVERED IN THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE ON 26 FEBRUARY 2015

Mr Premier, in the week of your birthday, I believe that we should all give you a gift. I also believe that that the members on this side of the House have done just that. Happy birthday, Mr Premier – your gift is some solid advice and critique of your government, its plans and its performance since your last State of the Province address.

I reiterate what I said last year. I want to believe that the Premier will be successful in carrying out his objectives. It would refreshing to praise and not criticise.

But I am less enthused than I was last year and I wonder whether the successor in title to our previous Premier, Nomvula Mokonyane, will also be the successor in sentiment. Are we going to have a huge number of promises annually and very little action?

We commend you for highlighting the economy as a primary issue in getting this province into its rightful place but wonder whether you have the right people around you to do it. For instance you “announced” the aerotropolis in Ekurhuleni which is actually a programme initiated in 2010 as if it was the “fix-all” for your eastern corridor. In the last five years, as my colleagues have told you, it has been a drain on the Ekurhuleni budget and the excuse for international travel for the ANC mayor and his mayoral committee.

Do you have the right people around you Mr Premier? Is the Mayor of Ekurhuleni, or the mayors of the other councils, the right people to realise your dream, and may I add our dream too, to “transform, modernise and re-industrialise this beautiful and resilient province”

Any economic revival would require a dedicated, knowledgeable and transparent MEC too. I’m sure you would agree. You also call for an “accountable, responsive, transparent and clean government”. That same MEC, charged with economic development, resorted to personally abusive and racial statements in a Public Accounts hearing because he was being held accountable, asked to be responsive and transparent and to demonstrate that we have a clean government.

Do you have the right people around you Mr Premier?

In order to have an accountable, responsive, transparent and clean government, another aspiration which this side of the House shares with you, you need Heads of Departments who are willing to acknowledge flaws and initiate firm action to mitigate weaknesses. The HOD of Community Safety submitted vague, obscure and in some instances, inaccurate responses, to SCOPA in last week’s Public Accounts hearing. I would add that the responses were signed off by the MEC.

Do you have the right people around you, Mr Premier?

Annually, SCOPA makes recommendations to this House on how to make the Provincial Government accountable, responsive, transparent and clean. In the 11 years I have served here, all these recommendations have been adopted and become House resolutions. I could give you an incredibly long list of resolutions of this House which have been ignored or only partially complied with. Most of the guilty MECs and senior officials remain in positions of extreme responsibility regardless of their contempt of the House.

Do you have the right people around you, Mr Premier?

My colleague, Dr Neil Campbell referred to the poor use of our traffic police who, in his words, “seem only able to man speed taps, solicit bribes and gridlock the cities by amateurish point duty such as happened on Monday”. Are you aware that police and security personnel refused passage way to this building to at least 3 opposition MPLs to hear the State of the Province. I personally was told, by a self-confessed ANC supporting officer, that I may not access the area because I was not an ANC member.

I repeat, Mr. Premier, do you have the right people around you?

I reiterate the comments of my colleagues. There has to be a referendum on the public attitude to e-tolls and you must fulfil your promise to stand by the wishes of Gauteng citizens in rejecting e-tolls unconditionally. Mr Premier, you took a bold stand on the matter nine months ago and we appreciate that there are many around you in your party that disagree, but you are the Premier of Gauteng and Gauteng demands action.

You need the right people around you, right here in Gauteng, to oppose, with the same strength you demonstrated last year, Sanral, the National Department of Roads and Transport and the ANC outside of this province who seem determined to subject our province to e-tolls.

Yesterday the Minister of Finance referred to the government’s habit of not paying suppliers within 30 days as stipulated by the PFMA. He said that departments’ timeous payment of accounts would be a factor considered when renewing the contracts of Accounting Officers as well as assessing their performance.

In Gauteng this is a huge problem, with the Departments of Education and Health being significant offenders. You may have noticed the drop in unauthorized expenditure last year but have you compared it to the accruals in excess of 30 days? Mr. Premier, Departments in Gauteng, have, in my considered opinion, breached the PFMA by neglecting to pay suppliers in order to avoid unauthorized expenditure. This has a knock on effect on the ability to deliver services in this financial year.

I would also add Mr. Premier, that your office still owes money to the Department of Community Safety since the 2014 financial year. We are now almost at the end of the 2015 financial year.

Mr. Premier, will you and your MECs have the power of your convictions to penalize Accounting Officers by not renewing their contracts if they do not ensure that suppliers are paid within 30 days? Mr. Premier, do you have the right people around you to take on this task?

There is another quote from your speech which I would like to align myself to. You said “drugs and alcohol abuse remains a major problem in our communities”. I couldn’t agree more. I ask you then, can you imagine the frustration of the police in Springs when an alleged drug dealer is apprehended, just this month, with drugs to the value of R1 000 000 and is granted bail of R500. Where is the justice in that? You say that you will “intensify the implementation of our comprehensive response”. All the treatment centres and one-stop centres in the province will be swimming against the tide if the supply of drugs goes unabated.

Mr. Premier, do you have the right people around you to deal with this problem?

Mr. Premier, I recommend that you look to your right, look behind you, look at the MECs and consider all the promises you made on Monday, all the dreams you shared, all the plans you have made, all the strategies you implemented and ask yourself, “is the team I have around me, the right one to make these aspirations a reality?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact: Cell 082 456 3252

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SPEECH ON THE DEBATE ON PREMIER’S STATE OF THE PROVINCE ADDRESS BY MRS. MIKE MORIARTY DELIVERED IN THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE ON 26 FEBRUARY 2015

Madam Speaker

 

I’d like to begin by quoting from John Lennon’s song, “Imagine”

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace…

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

On Monday the Premier dared us to imagine a future state of our province.

He was honest enough to admit to a few “challenges”. The ANC doesn’t admit to problems, only challenges. They certainly don’t admit to any failures.

But, the Premier told a good story of our province’s future. I truly hope that he succeeds in delivering this future. Indeed, we should all hope for this.

It is easier to tell a good story of a future we can imagine and hope for. It is harder to tell a good story of a present reality.

A newspaper described the Premier’s words as “bold”. That is certainly true.

Because the Premier staked his reputation on billions of rands of infrastructure that must be built by municipalities and PRASA and others. But he has no control over their success or failure. He has stated with certainty that private investors will commit billions and bring jobs. But investors are driven by confidence. And confidence is born of sound and consistent policies and good governance. These are largely in the hands or President Zuma. Whether you consider our president broken or not, he is not inspiring confidence. This too, is beyond the Premier’s control.

But what is within the Premier’s control?

Roads? Yes, certainly. Mr Premier you’ve told us about corridors, how about telling us about improving the roads; roads that will get our citizens in Merafong to and from those places where you said jobs would be created in the West Rand.

Moreover, do you want to put R8bn into our economy? Then forget about shifting the burden of ETolls from one lot of citizens to another. Scrap them entirely. Then all road users would save the extraordinary cost of collections and all this money will be invested back into our economy by consumers. R8bn worth of jobs would be created. Imagine that!

I applaud the Premier’s focus on the economy, the economy and the economy. I applaud his recognition that the bulk of new jobs will come from high-tech industries. But this requires a skilled and educated workforce. Mr Premier, this is within your control. You need to go beyond paperless classrooms and show how you will get educators and principals to get a bigger cohort of Grade 1s to actually write matric. Get them to improve on the university pass mark and the pass rates in maths, science and accounting.

Mr Premier, your R32bn infrastructure budget is no more and no less what than has been budgeted each year for the past 5 years. It is nothing new. In fact, due to inflation, you are spending less in real terms than you have before. It is “business as usual”. With respect, the provincial government cannot be about “business as usual”; it has to be about “radical change”.

Mr Premier, get your MEC for Economic Development to finally give value for the R1bn budget he spends and then we will see real jobs.

Finally, your promises regarding corruption will not be convincing until you actually deal radically with those guilty or even tainted. You need to ensure that officials or politicians feel the consequences, no matter how well connected they are.

Deliver on those things the province actually does then we won’t have to imagine. The good story will be a reality.

 

I thank you.

 

 

082 492 4410

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SPEECH ON THE DEBATE ON PREMIER’S STATE OF THE PROVINCE ADDRESS BY MR. SOLLY MSIMANGA DELIVERED IN THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE ON 26 FEBRUARY 2015

Madam Speaker,

 

Please allow me to congratulate the Premier on his second State of the Province Address delivered on Monday. Hon Premier, I remember the day you delivered your inaugural address. You were hailed as David, the great giant slayer. You were praised as the one who’d kill goliath.

 

So sir, I will not call you a broken man, because I don’t believe that YOU are at that stage yet. But, I feel that I should also tell you that goliath is still alive and you need to step up to the challenge. The goliath that is standing in our pathway isn’t the unwillingness of our People in Gauteng, but the unwillingness of those in power to rid government of corruption. It isn’t because of people are lazy, but it is because opportunity remains a resource given to only the connected few.

 

I listened to the Premier’s speech in anticipation that I would hear how we will address the failing service delivery in our Municipalities. I was hoping there will be plan to address how we will help those municipalities in Gauteng, which are either bankrupt or on the brink of bankruptcy, turn around to being investor friendly, service delivery orientated, financially healthy running municipalities. But I got none of the above.

 

Instead what I got is more unrealistic promises and plans that lacked in detail. Honourable Premier, while you were making your speech on Monday, another piece of land belonging to the Tshwane Municipality was being sold. This is flowing against your plan to “strategically use land owned by government and the development approvals to prioritise and earmark the location of specific sectors and industries in the five development corridors of our province”. Could this be the case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing?

 

The Premier spoke of partnership with the private sector. What commitment have you received from the private sector Hon Premier? How exactly are you going to improve the CBDs and parts of inner cities? What plan has been put in place to ensure that we don’t continue to put money into a never filling pit? How will you “Mobilise” the billions that would be put by private investors into these Cities?

Premier, in your speech, you said “there is appetite and passion to invest”. I am therefore asking these questions to satisfy myself and the residents of Gauteng that this appetite can actually be meet with a meal.

 

In light of the fact that the Alexandra renewal project has been brought to a standstill by a court order since 2008, how exactly then, are you going to “Revitalise Alexandra”? This applies also Kliptown, to which you have admitted “is in a terrible and sorry state of disrepair”. Tell us how sir.

In Everton, there was a project called the Everton Renewal Project to which almost half a billion Rands has been allocated and used, yet residents in Everton still finds themselves using pit toilets. It gets worse. The area is rotting with half build roads and infrastructure.

 

140 000 in Diepsloot and surroundings

160 000 in Mogale and surroundings

120 000 in Sedibeng

 

These are the amount of housing units in the next 5 years as promised by the Premier. 580 000 new units promised. Broken down, 116 000 units per year. Premier, this goes against what the housing departments in the province and cities had to say in a meeting held just last week. They confirm that there’s a backlog in housing demand of over 700 000 units which demand could be currently satisfied at 30 000 units per year. This is by the way province wide.

 

580 000 units in 5 years across 5 years. This is stuff dreams are made of and would be great if we can achieve. I humbly request that we be provided with details of how this rollout will transpire, so that we can be sure that this sweet and beautiful dream doesn’t turn into a nightmare.

We once again hear of the building of the Tshwane Convention Centre. This is really déjà vu, as I have heard of this Convention Centre for the past 10 years, attending 2 of the 4 sought turning ceremonies, yet no Convention Centre to date.

 

It is time that we really stop politicking, and start delivering to our people, because they really deserve better!

 

 

I thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact: Cell 060 558 8308

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SPEECH ON THE DEBATE ON PREMIER’S STATE OF THE PROVINCE ADDRESS BY DR. NEIL CAMPBELL DELIVERED IN THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE ON 26 FEBRUARY 2015

Madam Speaker

 

I listened attentively to Premier Makhura’s address on Monday and must agree that many of the ideals outlined by him are what we would all dream of for our beloved country.

 

However, having heard the same promises made by his predecessor, Premier Mokonyana, every year for 5 years without much output at the end of her term, I realised that this Premier whom I hoped would really deliver, must either be extremely badly informed by his aides or be the new king of empty promises.

 

We must never forget, educationally speaking, that although Gauteng may be the best performer in South Africa, the output of state schools in our country has been so dumbed-down that we are at the bottom of the ranking for all the countries in the world in maths and only a couple from the bottom in general education.

 

The grand plans announcing the intention to spend billions of rand on infrastructure improvement must be seen against the background of a declining economy, lowered international credit rating and an extremely limited or non-existent ability to borrow on world markets. South Africa is, in fact depressing the economic performance of the rest of Africa.

 

We exist in a country where corruption is now so rife that companies build bribes into their budgets in order to continue functioning.

 

The Premier spoke often of his reliance on the private sector to realise his dreams but it is his party’s business unfriendly policy that ties businesses up in unnecessary red tape and commits especially SMMEs to unaffordable salary increases without increased productivity. It is his party’s policy that forces well run businesses to rather install robots on assembly lines than give desperately needed jobs to our people because robots never demand huge increases and never embark on wildcat  strikes.

 

On transport matters he spoke of the O R Tambo aerotropolis as a saviour for the Ekurhuleni economy but the land around the airport is already too expensive for this scheme to ever succeed.

He lauded the bus rapid transit undertakings in the three metros but one has not got off the ground, one is presently moribund because of a strike and the third is mired in controversy and allegations of corruption and graft.

 

Our driver licensing testing stations, road worthy centres and TOLABS are all hot-beds of corruption which the GDRT is unable or unwilling to eradicate and our traffic police seem only able to man speed traps (but only,  when the weather is good) and also to solicit bribes and gridlock the cities by amateurish point duty such as happened on Monday.

 

The grass on our road verges and medians go uncut and the added lack of lighting on many provincial roads has caused several crashes.

Taxis regularly swing across several lanes of traffic, drive on the wrong side of the road, clog up emergency lanes, ignore traffic signs and block intersections but are rarely fined because our police are too scared to act against them. Our trucks crawl up steep gradients in the fast lanes and often travel at speeds exceeding 115kph on the down-hills but as speed traps are set at 125 kph they are seldom stopped for speeding. A truck at 115 kmh is infinitely more dangerous than a car exceeding the speed-limit by a similar 35 kph as proven by the N12 crash last year.

 

The Premier promised the consultative forum following the advisory panel feedback, that he would respond to the outright rejection by the public of both e-tolls and the proposed hybrid model by month end.

 

If the ambiguous report in his address is supposed  to clarify matters it has failed.  One must again ask the question why Sanral, the National Department of Roads and Transport and the ANC outside of Gauteng are hell-bent on using the expensive gantries.?

 

There remain many unexplained clauses in the contract between Sanral and ETC and KAPSH which defy logic. Who exactly is being enriched by the e-toll system?

 

Is the government determined to clog our courts with e-toll infringers while the many real criminals in detention wait to come to trial? The Premier should conduct a referendum on the public attitude to e-tolls and then stnd by the wishes of Gauteng citizens by rejecting the e-tolls unconditionally.

 

Our existing infrastructure has, on the admission of the ANC, been woefully neglected for decades. While our existing assets crumble and fail, the Premier is putting forward expensive and unrealistic new major projects.

 

It is time for the ANC to fully identify what assets it has and their state of repair or disrepair. It should carefully work out a cost sustainable maintenance routine and then carefully identify those new projects that have a reasonable chance of coming to fruition on time and on budget and concentrate on those.

 

It cannot do everything at once and prioritisation and pragmatism are required. To this end we need to be circumspect about extensions to the Gautrain. The train already costs R1.5 billion annually in subsidies and these are budgeted to increase to R1.8 billion in the next two yers. Furthermore the fares on Gautrain are deliberately set above Prasa’s fares and do not transport the real workers in Gauteng.

 

South Africa does not have the ability to offer free housing, free healthcare, free education and social grants to almost a third of our population on a sustainable basis.

 

Let us not be “jacks of all things” but rather,  masters of those things that make the most impact.

 

 

I thank you madam Speaker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact: Cell 082 387 2540

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SPEECH ON THE DEBATE ON PREMIER’S STATE OF THE PROVINCE ADDRESS BY MR. ASHOR SARUPEN DELIVERED IN THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE ON 26 FEBRUARY 2015.

Madame Speaker,

 

The honourable Premier told us that the focus will be on the economy. “Economy, economy, economy” – as it was emphasized. The plan for development corridors, in which the private sector was embraced as a partner – at least in words – is a sensible one. Our economic growth has been stifled and hampered by decades of underinvestment into infrastructure for job growth. Global experience shows that a country needs to invest at least 25% of its GDP into infrastructure to achieve economic growth and create jobs. South Africa barely invests 15%, which is just above the rate required to replace existing infrastructure. This is why, as our economy grew, we ran out of roads, rail, ports and energy to support an expanding economy, let alone spur job growth. The policy and legislative framework chosen by the ANC has stifled investment, and monopolies in transport, energy and telecommunications has deterred meaningful investment in our country – pushing investors elsewhere into Africa. Perhaps it’s time the ANC sat down with policy makers from growing African economies and realised that their fundamental approach to maintaining public and private monopolies, their approach to labour, their approach to regulation and their approach to taxation is fundamentally wrong. WE have just irrevocably damaged our investment prospects with the recent announcements around land, pushing more investment north.

 

Until these macroeconomic factors are corrected, the ten pillars advocated by the premier will remain talk. We need decisive action on those factors to achieve jobs and growth.

 

Let me give you an example of all talk and no action. The premier waxed lyrical about the aerotropolis in Ekurhuleni. This was first mooted in 2010. By 2011 it became a huge ‘programme’ of the metro – and I use the word programme loosely. Five years, hundreds of millions spent and billboards, advertising, marketing and consultants later, there is nothing. Nothing to show for it. Now, the premier speaks of it as though it’s a new innovation. At the rate things happen, and with the ANCs disdain for private sector investment and their constant calls for the building of a soviet economy – which ANC members in this house keep calling for – means that it will take decades for this programme to get anywhere. In the meantime, the ANC mayor and his mayoral committee will continue to spend hundreds of millions, as they have now done for half a decade, on overseas trips, advertising and consultants at a time when the ANC government is trying to tax and e-toll every cent out of the economy.

 

The promotion of monopolistic behaviour by the ANC is borne out in another programme announced that recently belies the Premiers lofty ambitions – the President had, in one swift stroke, set broadband back in our country and in turn damaging growth prospects by giving Telkom a monopoly on broadband roll out – contradicting the national policy on broadband. Its funny how there was a surge in Telkom share purchases ahead of the announcement and the share price has almost tripled. It’s not the economy, economy, economy – it’s the corrupt economy. Telkom had bid for broadband projects in two provinces, governed by two parties, and lost. Now they have made it clear they are opposed to those projects they lost out on – including the Gauteng Broadband Network. If you look at how fixed line broadband has been bungled in this country, how the government promotes monopolistic behaviour against the citizens and for cronyism.

 

To mask this, the ANC pretends there aren’t barriers to entry. The premier blamed racial monopoly capital instead. What the premier meant to use was the white monopoly capital straw man. The reason we don’t have black industrialists is because the ANC prefers taking shares in existing big firms to enrich its ruling clique from time to time, instead of decisively transforming the economic environment so that small black businesses can compete. There is always lip service to reducing red tape before introducing more. Provided there isn’t any delays and corruption, it would take 22 days to start a small business in South Africa if you jump through all the government hoops. In New Zealand, it takes 24 hours. This is where decisive transformation needs to happen. This situation exists not because of white monopoly capital, but the ANCs policies that protect its shares in business from competition.

 

While I want to wish the premier well, his parties calls for a soviet economy in this house last year and his parties hatred of private investment belies his words and the existing policy environment will not allow the premier to succeed. I believe the premier gets it, I really do – this Premier is the first person in the ANC I have heard say that we need to move welfare beneficiaries into jobs – but he speaks with wisdom that the rest of his party does not have. Until they realise that his approach needs major structural approaches, it is, sadly, just talk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact: Cell 060 558 8303

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SPEECH ON THE DEBATE ON PREMIER’S STATE OF THE PROVINCE ADDRESS BY MRS. JANET SEMPLE DELIVERED IN THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE ON 26 FEBRUARY 2015.

The Premier quite rightly devoted the bulk of his State of the Province Address to the economy.  The South African economy is at its lowest point since President Jacob Zuma took office in 2009 and Gauteng has not escaped the effects. The numbers speak for themselves: in the last five years more than 1.6 million South Africans have become unemployed.

The focus on creating jobs and work opportunities for all South Africans is a priority for all of us. Without jobs and decent work, millions of South Africans remain trapped in poverty with very little prospect of a better life.

The Premier has told us about the billions of Rand that are planned to be spent on the economic development of Gauteng, the hundreds of thousands of jobs that are going to be created and the massive rollout of infrastructure that will take place. The plans are impressive Hon Premier but we also know that the ANC has just celebrated its 103rd anniversary. The plans are reminiscent of the candles on the 103rd birthday cake. Each breath to blow out those candles is just another wish on the Premier’s list.

Much of the plans and the expenditure are based on current and future investment by the private sector. Much of the work will take place in the municipalities.  We have been told very little about how the Province is actually involved and what its contribution will be. We know there are many in the ANC who would rather “own” the economy instead of facilitating its growth through clean and effective government.  To quote Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money”.

There is also very little evidence that the so-called private sector investors will not be the same politically connected cronies all over again.  Can the Premier guarantee that there will be an open tender process for these projects that allows everyone regardless of their political connections an equal opportunity to bid?

The Premier alludes to the role of municipalities as members of the stakeholder circle that will bring about “radical” transformation. No mention is made of the poor financial status of Gauteng municipalities or any plans to support and address their serious shortcomings before throwing more money at incompetent mayors. Economic transformation cannot happen where municipal service delivery is inefficient and completely compromised by corruption and wasteful expenditure.

Current projects undertaken by the Department of Economic Development are started with the best of intentions but we cannot keep throwing money at projects when they fail time and time again. Let’s take the Mohlakeng hub for example. This project cannot expand any further until an MOU has been signed by the Department of Economic Development, the Randfontein municipality and the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP). What is causing the delay? The very same GEP, an entity of the Department.

This is unacceptable Hon Premier and Hon MEC Maile especially given the circumstances of high unemployment and unrest that prevail in Mohlakeng. Is it too much to believe that the Department and its entities would priorotise the speedy development of this hub?  If we cannot get such a small detail right, how are we going to manage billions of Rand of investment? Equally the small budget that the Department of Economic Development has should be used to maximum effect to make every cent it spends count.

The Premier announced ambitious plans for agriculture but the rollout for infrastructure does not even mention agriculture. We maintain that the current GDARD budget together with the budget from Economic Development is not enough to finance the agriculture promises made by the Premier. Why would the Province want to establish more Agri-parks when the current ones are a spectacular failure? Our biggest unemployment figures are for the youth but why does the Premier thinks the “youth on the periphery” would be interested in farming?

The Premier is absolutely right in recognising the need for a stable energy supply and the current threat to water security.  There is no possibility of reindustrialisation and the revitalization of Gauteng’s economy without these two components.

Clearly this Province cannot rely on the bulk of our electricity coming from Eskom.  Foreign investment will not come to Gauteng if we cannot guarantee a secure energy supply.  We welcome the Premier’s plans for alternative energy sources such as solar panels on government buildings and changing to LED globes but we suggest also making sure street lights are not burning during the day, motion sensitive lights are used in toilets and that air-conditioning units are regularly maintained. Hail storms

The Premier has made no mention of using Independent Power Producers. He needs to pressurise his comrades in National government to move on the enabling legislation. A veil of secrecy currently surrounds exactly who these producers are and how much energy they are capable of producing. Eskom’s monopoly needs to be broken.

Finding solutions to the acid mine drainage problem cannot be overemphasized but the current treatment of polluted water results in salt as a by-product. The only way to get rid of the salt is through reverse osmosis, an extremely costly process. An oversupply of salt is not only going to destroy our drinking water but it is also going to contaminate the fertile farmlands which provide food security for our province.  Urgent attention needs to be paid to this threat.

Economic growth is dependent on good policy decisions and active economic leadership.  The Premier’s address was big on plans, short on detail and the economy of Gauteng cannot wait another year to get those details

Contact: Cell 082 462 8239

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SPEECH ON THE DEBATE ON PREMIER’S STATE OF THE PROVINCE ADDRESS BY MR. KHUME RAMULIFHO DELIVERED IN THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE ON 26 FEBRUARY 2015.

We need to invest in knowledge and skills.

 

The MEC for education has done a great job in facilitating placements of learners considering the demand of learners who were expected to be placed in January this year. Indeed, in terms of access to learning institutions the government has done well.

 

However, the battle to afford many young people with an opportunity to access quality basic education is still a huge challenge. It is difficult to experience real changes in many schools especially in townships. For instance, how will this be possible when 3 learners at Rebongwe primary school in Meadowlands are still sharing 2 chairs?

 

At the same school, kids sit on a “bankstoel”. This is depriving innocent children from conducive learning environment. Imagine 62 learners in one class! The department seems to have paid all the attention to paperless classrooms which they are only seven and forget other real challenges.

 

Another typical example is Buyani Primary school in Finetown. Grade 1 class has 80 learners in one classroom. On average classes have between 50 and 70 learners per class. I’m told that teachers bunk classes more often than at an acceptable level. Surely this is not what we are expecting. Where are the districts responsible for these schools?

 

It is regrettable that only 44 schools in Gauteng managed to get 100% pass in 2014. Quintile 1 has 3 schools, 26 of these schools are from Quintile 5. This is an indication of inequality in our education system. The DA believes that these schools in quintile 1,2 & 3 should be rewarded with more resources as recognition for excellent performance. This is good guide to fund learners from low-income families to receive most support from government.

 

The DA congratulates these schools as they achieved 100% pass from quintile 1,2 and 3 schools. Thuto Pele, Ramusukula, Dalpark, Phomolong and LG Holele secondary schools.

 

30 schools performed below 60%, the biggest concern is that many technical schools in quintile 4 performed badly. The quintile system is skewed, it needs to be reviewed.

 

There will be developments in our province, but the job will be done by outsiders as we aren’t producing scarce skills required.

 

Who will build all these projects you mentioned?

 

Manage the government’s money better. What we have been witnessing from schools through hidden forensic audit reports tell us different picture. Premier – I doubt your commitment with regard to fighting corruption.

 

You have the information about 159 schools where forensic audits findings confirm that principals committed fraud, corruption and there were maladministration or financial irregularities. At least 29 principals are implicated on the reports. Annual reports indicates that all cases are completed, so take action!

 

Why constitutionally constituted body, school governing bodies mandated by the constitution are denied access to these reports. Including the public, if you are found guilty why are we ashamed to let the public know?

 

You hide the forensic audit reports. Elected school governing bodies have no access to forensic audit reports about their own schools where they are entrusted with responsibility to look after. We then asked parents to be involved. I doubt if this is in line with clean government.

 

Fight fraud and corruption in our schools. Many schools in this province are cited as the highest in terms of corruption where some SGB members and principals are alleged to be the beneficiaries.

 

The DA has been questioning government commitment to fight corruption. Forensic audit reports conducted confirm that there is corruption and fraud being committed using state resources but no actions against the perpetrators. Why we can’t name and shame them?

 

How do we encourage schools to share resources and facilities, between schools and communities when individual schools aren’t held to account. SGB elections are coming next months, the DA is urging parents to take active stand and be agents in their children’s future through informed participation in we’ll run school governing bodies.

 

School infrastructure

 

We need better resources to ensure that our schools environment is conducive for learning and teaching. The approach adopted by this government to attract, retain, up-skill retrain teachers is weak considering that many teachers received shoddy education and the country is in desperate need to produce certain skills.

 

Many schools in township still lack libraries, laboratories, sporting fields and ICT infrastructure. The paperless classrooms are encouraging developments but all learners deserve opportunities. The new six schools to be made paperless, can they be in other municipality not Ekurhuleni alone.

 

Meadowlands, Dobsonville, Soshanguve, Sharpeville, Diepsloot, Orange Farm, Attredgeville, Kagiso,  Munsieville learners deserve paperless classrooms too! There is a need to reconsider the utilization of Gauteng on line facilities, they can’t be neglected as is the case in many schools to date.

 

Better resources require proper planning and infrastructure spending. Unfortunately there is poor planning and insufficient capacity to spend the budget.

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

Contact: Cell 082 398 7375

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SPEECH ON THE DEBATE ON PREMIER’S STATE OF THE PROVINCE ADDRESS BY MR. JACK BLOOM DELIVERED IN THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE ON 26 FEBRUARY 2015.

Madam Speaker, the Honourable Premier delivered the longest ever opening address in this House.

 

I understand that he wanted to flesh out his Ten Pillars of radical Transformation, Modernisation and Re-industrialisation, which he calls TMR for short.

 

When I was at university TM stood for Transcendental Meditation, so I wondered if TMR was an updated version.

 

Transcendental Meditation is all in the mind, which made me also wonder if the Honourable Premier is living in the same province as the rest of us.

 

This is a province where the provincial government has a long history of failed promises, which is why it would be radical indeed if new promises were actually kept.

 

I’m glad the Honourable Premier praises the private sector, unlike his Economic Development MEC who raves on about white monopoly capital.

 

The truth is that we live in a dynamic province with dynamic people, which is why we have made welcome strides over the last 20 years.

 

But when it comes to the public sector, we see failure, waste and corruption that is a huge drain on what we are capable of achieving.

 

The Honourable Premier mentions huge building projects, but the only ones that are likely to be done in time and within budget are the private sector ones.

 

This provincial government is incapable of building anything in a cost-effective way that is anywhere near scheduled deadlines.

 

It’s not just big projects like the Jabulani and Natalspruit hospitals – a failed contractor has been paid R14.2 million for a half-built clinic in Randfontein.

 

The Honourable Premier praises Natalspruit as the hospital of the future, an exemplar of modernised health care.

 

He should do an unannounced visit there and he’ll find that many patients say they preferred the old hospital because it had shorter queues.

 

They have to re-register on the electronic system every time they come because it does not record their previous details.

 

The hospital is not too clean either and staff are leaving in droves. It’s really a great disappointment.

 

Honourable Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu announced last year that electronic files would be implemented at the South Rand Hospital by the end of March this year.

 

Honourable Premier, please visit this hospital because you will find that the scanning of files is way behind schedule and queues are as bad as ever.

 

I could go on and on about failed promises in this department which has still not recovered from the rampant corruption that erupted when Honourable Member Brian Hlongwa took over as Health MEC.

 

The reason we still have paper files is that according to court documents, the health information contract was corruptly awarded in 2008. This R1.2 billion contract was cancelled but the department could not award a new contract because the Baoki Consortium was claiming damages for the cancellation.

 

The Boaki Consortium has now surrendered this claim because they concede that they cannot defend themselves against evidence that one of their senior directors, Mr Hans Smidek, bought Honourable Member Brian Hlongwa’s house for R4.6 million to assist him in buying a new house for R7.2 million.

 

This is part of a host of allegations about a “generally corrupt relationship” between former MEC Hlongwa and the 3P Consortium that was first supposed to “turn-around” the department. (…)

 

We still hear about the turn-around in this department. The Honourable Premier says there is good progress and that the department will be out of administration by May this year.

 

But the Big C problem will remain. As observed by Reverend Frank Chikane, who was Director General of the Presidency under Thabo Mbeki: “Every tender and contract under an ANC government is designed to make someone in the ANC rich.”

 

Is any member on the other side of the House prepared to publicly repudiate Frank Chikane’s devastating observation on tenders making ANC people rich?

 

Please let us know.

 

The truth is that so long as there is corruption, cronyism and cadre deployment, there will be government failure and the people will suffer.

 

The criminal justice system is so slow that we still do not have accountability for the period when the Gauteng Health Department plunged into disaster.

 

The Honourable Premier is on record as saying at the ANC’s 2012 Policy Conference that stepping aside doesn’t mean a person is guilty, but no-one should “hide behind” the argument that they are innocent until proven guilty, and thereby worsen the “troubled image” of the party.

 

Honourable Premier, you weren’t the premier then, but you are now, and you will have a “troubled image” so long as Honourable Member Hlongwa is still an official representative of your party.

 

You are the lead figure in your party’s provincial leadership. You can show a decisive break with the past by ensuring that he is no longer a prominent representative of your party.

 

You say that you wish to drive the agenda of integrity promotion across government departments.

 

Honourable Premier, I think you should meditate on this.

 

This is a test case. The more you delay, the more you must expect scepticism that the real reason you cannot get rid of the rot is because it is entrenched in the way your party operates.

 

The choice is yours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact: Cell 082 333 4222