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DA Welcomes Proposed Sale Of Gauteng Premier’s Official Residence

Premier’s Official Residence in Bryanston

I welcome the announcement today by Gauteng Premier David Makhura that the Premier’s Official Residence in Bryanston Johannesburg will be sold along with all houses owned by the Provincial Government.

He said this in an oral reply to my questions in the Legislature.

According to Makhura, the Department of Infrastructure Development has been given an express mandate to sell all houses owned by the Gauteng Provincial Government.

He said: “We are confident that this decision will not only save us money from maintenance but it will help raise additional resources to fund the TMR priorities such as student bursaries and rollout of Tshepo 500 000.”

Last year about 50 engagements and meetings were held at the Bryanston house, which costs about R1.5 million a year to run.

Emoyeni Conference Centre

Makhura said that more details about these meetings would be provided to me this week in response to an application I made in March this year in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA).

It was revealed last year that R4.2 million was spent on the house since May 2014 when Premier Makhura took the decision not to live there.

My view is that it is much cheaper to use the province-owned Emoyeni Conference Centre or a private venue as the annual cost of the Bryanston house works out to about R30 000 a meeting just as a venue.

A lot of money could have been saved if the house was sold earlier as it is a white elephant.

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Member the Oversight Committee on the Premier’s Office and Legislature

082 333 4222

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Gauteng’s Failed Bus Services Leave Workers Stranded

National Department of Transport (NDOT)DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport Neil Campbell

While millions of Rands will be spent on celebrations across Gauteng tomorrow in honour of Workers Day, the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has dealt workers in the province a serious blow by not ensuring the sustainability of public bus operations.

Inefficiently utilised bus subsidies granted directly to Gauteng by the National Department of Transport (NDOT) has forced PUTCO to suspend its operations in the province.

This will negatively impact the 80 000 commuters who use these buses every day.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura

When asked what steps the GPG had taken to provide affordable and efficient alternatives, Gauteng Premier, David Makhura, stated in an official written reply that alternative means of transport were already established to accommodate commuters.

These included mini-bus taxis, metered-taxis, metro-rail and the Gautrain.

Premier Makhura has indicated that extra steps will not be taken to assist stranded commuters, as the above mentioned alternatives will be able to pick up where the busses have left off.

While these forms of transport exist, and are used by many, the thousands of commuters who make use of PUTCO’s services, and not the alternatives do so for the following reasons:

·         Mini-bus taxis are often unreliable, do not service all areas and are not as cost effective as busses;

·         Metered-taxis are extremely expensive and impractical;

·         Metro-rail often experiences delays due to cable theft, rolling stock is outdated, always loaded beyond capacity and is notorious for incidents of crime.

Gauteng Workers Interests

While the GPG under Premier Makhura’s leadership attempts to make right noises, it is clear from the everyday experiences of workers that this administration does not have their best interests at heart.

A key focus of this administration is to redress Apartheid social and geographic planning by bringing those who were once forced to the periphery closer to economic nodes.

How is this to be done when one of the crucial mechanism to do so has been completely disregarded?

The people of Gauteng are being held back from economic inclusion by a government unwilling to accommodate the challenges to prosperity.

The DA will continue to champion this fight on behalf of the workforce of Gauteng.

Media enquiries:

Dr Neil Campbell MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport

082 387 2540

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