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New Psychiatric wards still not completed at Helen Joseph Hospital

by Jack Bloom MPL – DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC

Completion of the new psychiatric wards at the Helen Joseph Hospital is more than two years overdue, which means that only 20 psychiatric beds are available when 40 beds are required.

This is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

According to Ramokgopa “the delay in the psychiatric wards at Helen Joseph Hospital continues to be of concern. The Head of Department has been instructed to intervene and ensure it is completed within the current (financial) year” (note: this would be end-March 2019).

Meanwhile, patients can wait for a bed “anywhere between 24 – 48 hours. Critical patients are prioritized.”

The renovation of the two psychiatric wards started in November 2014, and was supposed to be completed by August 2016.

A vital project is yet again stalled by poor project management and probable corruption.

I am appalled that mental health patients are still treated badly in Gauteng even after the Life Esidimeni tragedy.

Real change in the Gauteng Health Department will only occur when the failing ANC is removed by voters.

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DA calls for West Rand District Municipality workers allowances to be paid immediately

by Refiloe Nt’sekhe MPL – DA Gauteng Team One Spokesperson on Basic Services

Today a group of workers marched to the Office of Premier David Makhura to highlight their dissatisfaction about their allowances having not been paid by the failing ANC government.

Workers’ salaries were paid, but other benefits like housing allowances, pension funds and medical aids were not paid.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been warning for a while now, that this municipality will have to present an unfunded budget because they had invested R81 million with VBS Mutual Bank

This is not the first time that workers have shown their dissatisfaction with the failing ANC municipality.

At the end of October, council workers staged a sit-in at the council chambers over the non-payment of salaries.

This is unacceptable as this situation has been going on for a long time now.

If the Premier was serious about finding a solution to the woes of the West Rand Municipality he would have put contingency plans in place to prevent this from happening again.

In voicing the workers’ grievances, the DA will tomorrow table a Member’s Statement in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to hold the Premier accountable to resolving this situation.

It is a crying shame that the ANC is failing to pay salaries to workers in time. The failing ANC is jeopardizing the livelihoods of many breadwinners.

A solution to this situation must be found immediately as a shutdown means that residents are suffering because of the failing ANC.

For far too long have residents of the West Rand suffered because of the financial mismanagement and neglect by the failing ANC.

Premier Makhura should consider placing this municipality under administration as it is clear that it is unable to fulfil its local government mandate.

The DA is also calling for a commitment from the Premier on when the remaining portion of the salaries will be paid, how this will be done and where the funding will come from.

We will continue to put pressure on the Premier to ensure that workers are paid their full salaries.

Change will only come to Gauteng under a DA-led government. This can happen in 2019.

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Former Transport MEC badly treated at Bara Hospital, highlights healthcare collapse

by Jack Bloom MPL – DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC

I am saddened by the reported mistreatment of former Gauteng Transport MEC Khabisi Mosunkuntu at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

According to his wife Nonqaba, a physiotherapist refused yesterday to treat her 69-year-old husband who suffered a stroke in July this year.

Mrs Mosunkuntu is also a nurse at this hospital and complained “we are sitting here the whole day because somebody is refusing him treatment … this is what they normally do to patients.”

While no-one should expect special treatment because of their previous status, this incident shows once again the rudeness and poor treatment commonly experienced by patients at this hospital.

The failing ANC has neglected this hospital and it is inexcusable that a new CEO has not been appointed since the previous CEO was removed by former Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu in January 2016.

The hospital has also been rocked by corruption allegations and desperately needs good leadership to provide a quality service to all patients.

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21 Esidimeni patients still missing

by Jack Bloom MPL – DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC

Twenty one mental health patients who were discharged after the Gauteng Health Department cancelled its contract with Life Esidimeni have still not been found.

This was disclosed today by Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa in an oral reply today to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

She said that these patients had left Esidimeni between 10 November 2015 and 31 October 2016, and 3 had been sent to NGOs, 1 to a hospital and 1 to a family, but no information was available on the others.

Ramokgopa added that every effort has been made to locate the patients, including checking with NGOs, hospitals, other provinces and Home Affairs. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has also been requested to assist in finding out what happened to them.

I am astonished that Ramokgopa claims that there have been “no delays” in finding the patients as it is now more than two years since they disappeared.

It seems that the Department has met a dead end in finding the remaining patients as the number has not come down since July this year when I was told that there were 20 patients still missing.

Sadly, many of these patients have likely lost their lives, joining the 144 other patients who died as a result of the arrogance, cruelty and corruption of the failing ANC government that caused the Esidimeni horror.

The terrible fate of the missing patients should be added to the charges faced by the perpetrators who should be tried and punished in court as soon as possible.

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DA growth in Winterveld by-election shows Gauteng is up for grabs

by John Moodey MPL – DA Gauteng Provincial Leader

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the growth in the by-election it contested in ward 9 in Tshwane yesterday as a sign of change that is coming in 2019.

The by-election follows the arrest of the previous ANC Councillor for rape.

The DA grew from 6.04% in 2016 to 17.75% in the ANC-run ward, which is a testament to the DA’s goal of bringing change to Gauteng in 2019.

Further to the encouraging results that we saw in ward 9, we have now become the official opposition in the ward, a position previously held by the Economic Freedom Fighters.

This result shows that DA is growing and dispels recent polling data that lack credibility. All recent trends show that hundreds of thousands of South Africans are excited by our offer of change that builds One South Africa for All.

We would like to thank residents of Winterveld for their increased support in the DA.

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DA protests jobs-for-cash scam at Soweto Hospital

by Jack Bloom MPL – DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

There have been 111 disciplinary cases so far, but 52 people who paid for their jobs are still working at the hospital. This includes nurses, porters and clerks who paid between R2500 – R10 000 for their jobs.

Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health says: “This is very unfair to better qualified people who have lost out because of corruption in the employment process”.

“I am also concerned that there have been credible accusations of sexual favours demanded for employment at the hospital, but these have not been properly investigated.

I suspect that there are other hospitals where this occurs and there needs to be harsh consequences for those involved, including criminal charges” says Bloom.

The DA will continue to expose hiring scams and push for real accountability to stamp them out.

Please click here and here to download pictures. 

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Stock theft shock for Gauteng

by Ina Cilliers MPL – DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development

1609 cases of stock theft were reported to the SAPS in Gauteng between March 2017 and September 2018, with 1159 cases occurring in the 2017/18 period and six months into the next financial year, already 450 cases have been reported.

This compared to 903 cases in 2014/2015, 888 cases in 2015/2016, and 1016 cases during the 2016/2017 financial year.

These latest reported cases involved the theft of 3123 head of cattle, 2907 sheep, 266 pigs, 2269 goats and 41 donkeys or horses at a conservative estimated value upward of R40 million.

According to the written reply received from the MEC, the Tshwane region appears to be hardest hit, while the West Rand did not have a single reported case during this period.

Recent research suggests that farmers are increasingly reluctant to report stock theft to police citing reasons such as a lack of trust in police processes and a breakdown in the relationship between farmers and police.

The apparent absence of stock theft on the West Rand according to SAPS records further bears this out, and casts serious aspersions on the reply received from SAPS.

Furthermore, the conviction rate of merely 17% of reported cases in Gauteng over the period in question brings home the realisation that farmers would rather try to stay economically viable in favour of engaging the SAPS in a burdensome and futile exercise of reporting crime.

In Gauteng especially, the rural crime hotspot of the country, a conversation about the future of agribusiness can no longer be credible without also including the serious challenges farmers face regarding rural crimes.

SAPS are increasingly unable to protect rural communities.

The DA has long held that specialised rural safety units must be re-introduced and properly resourced.

Separate and accurate statistics regarding rural crime must be maintained so that statistical analysis can be employed to enhance intelligence and police operations. Innovation in new technology such as surveillance drones, Shot Spotter and geofencing must be explored as a matter of urgency.

This is an integral part of professionalising the police force, which is part of our core offer, and will also help ensure our continued food security in Gauteng.

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When are e-tolls going to fall, Premier Makhura?

by Cllr Solly Msimanga – DA Gauteng Premier Candidate

The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the comments by the Gauteng Premier, David Makhura during the Tripartite Alliance march to the Union Buildings against e-tolls today.

The Premier said “The e-tolls shall fall”, the question is when will e-tolls fall Mr Premier?

This is one of many broken promises made by the failing ANC government that has implemented e-tolls without consulting the people of Gauteng.

Premier Makhura cannot be trusted like many other ANC leaders. He failed to effectively fight e-tolls despite admitting that the e-tolls are not working.

The Premier has broken his commitment that he made on numerous occasions to the Gauteng residents that his government will address the issue of e-tolls.

The ANC is once again misleading the residents of Gauteng, by once again promising ahead of the elections to scrap e-tolls.

E-tolls cannot be used as voting fodder during every election period.

Our people want e-tolls to be scrapped immediately and there is a chance to do exactly that this year when the contract ends on 31 December.

If the President was indeed concerned about the plight of the poor in this country as echoed, by Jeffrey Radebe, Minister of Energy while receiving the memorandum, the President would have scrapped the e-tolls long time ago.

It is clear that the ANC has no intention of doing away with e-tolls. These utterances are nothing more of the same empty promises by the ANC.

The DA will continue to put pressure on the ANC government to scrap e-tolls now and find alternative ways of paying for e-tolls and settling the debt owed.

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DA growth in Winterveld by-election shows Gauteng is up for grabs

by John Moodey MPL – DA Gauteng Provincial Leader

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the growth in the by-election it contested in ward 9 in Tshwane yesterday as a sign of change that is coming in 2019.

The by-election follows the arrest of the previous ANC Councillor for rape.

The DA grew from 6.04% in 2016 to 17.75% in the ANC-run ward, which is a testament to the DA’s goal of bringing change to Gauteng in 2019.

Further to the encouraging results that we saw in ward 9, we have now become the official opposition in the ward, a position previously held by the Economic Freedom Fighters.

This result shows that DA is growing and dispels recent polling data that lack credibility. All recent trends show that hundreds of thousands of South Africans are excited by our offer of change that builds One South Africa for All.

We would like to thank residents of Winterveld for their increased support in the DA.

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Tripartite Alliance march to Union Buildings just another election ploy

by Cllr Solly Msimanga – DA Gauteng Premier Candidate

The DA notes that the failing ANC, SACP and COSATU will be marching to the Union Buildings against e-tolls tomorrow.

This is ironic as they are marching against their own government that implemented e-tolls without consulting the people of Gauteng.

If the tripartite alliance is serious about scrapping the e-tolls in Gauteng then they should put pressure on their SACP Secretary-General and Transport Minister, Blade Nzimande, to end the e-toll contract, that is due to expire in December.

They should also put pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa to ensure that this contract is ended immediately.

It is clear that e-tolls in Gauteng have not worked and needs to be scrapped. With the rising cost in food, petrol and the recent VAT increase the people of Gauteng can ill afford to pay for e-tolls.

The most concerning part about the e-toll contract is that the bulk of the money collected by Sanral goes straight to the collection agent, which is not even based in South Africa. It’s projected that only 7% goes to Sanral, while 93% goes to the Electronic Toll Collections Joint Venture Consortium with Kapsch TrafficCom.

The failing ANC-led national and Gauteng provincial government are not singing from the same hymn sheet. Last week, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni indicated that people must pay their e-tolls in order for the roads to be maintained whilst Gauteng Premier, David Makhura, a day later indicated that e-tolls have no future in Gauteng and that an alternative must be found.

This clearly indicates that e-tolls are once again being used as voting fodder ahead of 2019 General elections.

Gauteng’s e-tolls will struggle to fetch R900m this year, which is substantively lower than the R3 billion required per annum, to achieve their intended targets.

The fact that Sanral had to resort to taking legal action to collect a mere R10.231 million is a clear indication that Gauteng residents are unable to pay their e-toll accounts.

It is high time that e-tolls are scrapped.  The failing ANC must stop playing politics with e-tolls and find an alternative solution to fund the Gauteng Roads now.

The DA is the only party that has been consistently calling for e-tolls to be scrapped and we will continue to put pressure on government to scrap e-tolls.  We also call on all Gauteng residents to sign the DA online petition with regards to the scrapping of the e-tolls.

Sign the petition here: https://bit.ly/2Rbfal0