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Voters in Ward 102 Johannesburg endorse DA’s 2024 campaign

Note to editors: Please find a soundbite  and Darren Bergman MP, here.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng congratulates Cllr Lucinda Harman on her victory in Ward 102 Johannesburg by-election today. Lucinda’s election in Johannesburg is testament to the fact that residents are tired of the lacklustre support they have received from the so-called Doomsday Coalition (ANC/EFF/PA).

The DA won the by-election comfortably with 94.67% of the vote. The DA’s vote in this area grew from 71.22% to 94.67%. Bearing the growth we’ve seen in this area in mind, the sentiment amongst voters is clear – they are tired of a failing government.

Cllr Harman’s commitment to excellence is especially clear when you look at her history as a successful entrepreneur. In addition to being a committed businesswoman, she has always been an active member of her community whilst bolstering those around her as a TEDx speaker.

The DA is especially happy with her victory in this election, as residents deserve both an alternative to the failing government, and a representative that will fight for them in the City of Gold. Lucinda strives to be exactly that person.

The need for someone willing to put in the work required to build relationships with city entities cannot be understated, and Cllr Harman is geared to do just that. These relationships will be crucial in assisting Johannesburg’s residents with their service delivery issues as local government continues to deteriorate in the lead-up to the 2024 election.

While the hapless Mayor Gwamanda is struggling to hold his head above water and failing to serve the people of Johannesburg, the DA is going from strength to strength. DA support, in direct contrast to the Doomsday Coalition, continues to grow. The people of Johannesburg deserve better, and now they are voting for it.

The momentum behind voter registration must continue in the same way we did today. South Africans must register to vote, to give the ANC the final push they need to get out of the door.

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MEC Maile must make housing waiting list public to ensure fair allocation of houses

The ANC/Patriotic Alliance (ANC/PA) coalition in the West Rand Municipality is denying residents of Toekomsrus access to dignified housing by delaying the completion of a housing project.

The ANC/PA coalition must take the blame for the delay in the allocation of the houses.

For a long time now, the DA has been calling on the Department of Human Settlements to ensure that the housing waiting list is made public so that there is transparency in how the houses are allocated.

During a recent oversight inspection, the Democratic Alliance (DA) discovered that there are delays in installing the water, sewage, and electrical infrastructure at the Toekomsrus Mega Housing Project.

While the MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile, has indicated that they will be handing over 44 units in the area, residents do not believe that the houses will be allocated to the rightful beneficiaries.

Furthermore, the DA is against the allocation of houses without the proper bulk infrastructure in place. The current infrastructure is already overburdened and is not maintained properly.

The DA will continue to put pressure on the MEC and the Gauteng Provincial Government to make the housing waiting list public so that the rightful beneficiaries can receive the dignified housing they deserve.

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Blue Light Bullies must be held to account

Find attached here, a video of Solly Msimanga questioning the validity of statements made by the Office of the Deputy President, and a photo here.

The DA welcomes the first court appearance of the now infamous Blue Light Bullies, who were caught on camera brutally beating civilians on the side of the road earlier this month. This sends the right message that despite what some may believe, no one is above the law.

Following the brutal attack, and the emergence of the viral video, the DA laid a complaint with IPID leading to the court appearance today.

Today’s court proceedings have reassured the public that with an independent judicial system, the victims of this savage and unwarranted attack have the opportunity to see justice served.

The actions of the accused have sparked a bigger debate however, focusing on the desperate need for accountability amongst public servants. Members of the South African Police Service should not inspire, nor seek to inspire fear in South Africans with unnecessary acts of violence on the streets. Regardless of who they claim to be protecting.

South Africans deserve protection from violent acts like this one, however, how can one expect anyone to trust those who claim to protect us, when members of SAPS are committing violent acts themselves?

If people break the law, irrespective of who they are or for whom they work, they must face the full might of the law. There can be no special treatment asked for or given to anyone, especially those whose job it is to uphold the law.

The DA will continue unabated in ensuring that justice prevails by holding those responsible to account, not just for the victims of this senseless crime, but for South African society as a whole. We should feel safe around police, not fearful of how violent they could become.

One of the main questions that has arisen for the DA, following testimony during the day’s proceedings in the Randburg Magistrates Court, is whether or not Deputy President Paul Mashatile, was in fact in the vehicle? And if so, why would his spokesperson lie about it?

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DA to host 2023 Gauteng East Regional Congress

The DA will host its 2023 Gauteng East Regional Congress tomorrow, Saturday, 22 July 2023. This congress marks another occasion on which democracy will be celebrated. With almost 300 delegates casting their votes for key party positions, the party seeks to ensure a constitutional right to fair and open elections.

Attendees of the congress include current DA Gauteng Leader, Solly Msimanga and other senior political figures in Gauteng. At the Regional Congress, various leadership positions for the DA Gauteng East Region will be contested and a race for key positions within the party will be decided by a democratic vote.

The positions that will be elected on the day are as follows:

  • Regional Chairperson;
  • Regional Senior Vice Chairperson;
  • Regional Secretary;
  • Regional Membership Chairperson;
  • Regional Training Chairperson;
  • Regional Finance Chairperson;
  • Regional Delegates to the Provincial Executive Committee; and
  • Regional Delegates to Federal Council

Internal elections are a testament to any party’s conviction to their own, and the South African constitution. South Africans deserve better, and with the 2024 elections around the corner, effective public representation and a commitment to constitutionalism will be more important than ever.

Members of the media are hereby invited to attend the event of which the details are below:

Date: Saturday, 22 July 2023

Time: 9:00 – 14:00

Venue: Barnyard Theatre, Emperor’s Palace

There will be opportunities for interviews and photographs before, during and after the congress.

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DA to hand over donations to families of the victims of Boksburg gas tragedy

Today, Friday, 21 July 2023, the Official Leader of the Opposition in Gauteng, Solly Msimanga MPL, the DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Community Safety, Crezane Bosch MPL, the DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Community Safety, Ruhan Robison MPL, the DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nico De Jager MPL, and the DA Ward 21 PR Councillor, Cllr Alta De Beer, will hand over money and food to the families of the victims of the nitrate oxide gas leak at the Angelo Informal Settlement in Boksburg.

Two weeks ago, 17 people died, and more than 16 were injured due to a nitrate oxide leak from a gas cylinder used by illegal miners to clean gold dust.

The DA, in partnership with a donor, will assist the victims’ families in repatriating the bodies of the deceased to their respective countries in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

The victims’ families are in desperate need of financial assistance to transport their deceased family members to their countries for dignified burials.

The DA will continue to engage with the Mozambique Consul General to assist the families of the victims.

The media is invited, and there will be an opportunity for interviews and photographs.
Details of the oversight visit are as follows:
Date: 21 July 2023
Time: 09:00 am
Address: Angelo Informal Settlement, Boksburg, Johannesburg East.

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Investigation into cause of Joburg CBD explosion crucial to preventing further injury and damage

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is calling on the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mzi Khumalo, to launch an urgent investigation into the cause of the explosion in the Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD) earlier this evening.

This explosion is life-threatening for the tens of thousands of workers, job seekers, and residents of the CBD.

The cause of today’s explosion must be determined as a matter of urgency to prevent further incidents like this from occurring again.

Furthermore, this explosion occurred along the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) route, which means that the structural integrity of the road must be determined before being used by the public and public transport vehicles.

The DA proposes that the government must consider moving people out of some buildings that are situated near the scene of the incident to ensure their safety.

The DA will be monitoring the progress of this investigation, and should it be delayed, we will be left with no option but to take the matter up privately. Our residents must work and live in a safe environment.

We urge the public not to go to the scene of the explosion until it has been declared safe.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and those who had their property damaged during this incident.

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DA approaches Mozambique Consul General seeking assistance to repatriate 14 victims of the Boksburg gas tragedy

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has written to the Mozambique Consul General seeking assistance to repatriate 14 deceased bodies of the victims of a nitrate oxide gas leak.

Following a recent tragedy at the Angelo Informal Settlement in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, where 17 people lost their lives, and at least 16 were injured after a nitrate oxide gas leak.

Today, the DA visited the victims’ families and was informed that 14 of the deceased, including children and adults, are from Mozambique.

The victims’ families are in desperate need of financial assistance to transport their deceased family members to Mozambique for dignified burials.

The Gauteng Provincial Government had promised to assist the victims’ families in burying their loved ones; however, to date, nothing has happened. Instead, they only donated food parcels.

In addition, we have been informed by members of the community that illegal mining activities have resumed. The police patrols only lasted a day after the incident, which is a clear indication that innocent lives are in danger.

The DA demands that the Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, and the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko, engage the Provincial SAPS Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, to ensure police visibility in the area to curb illegal mining, which poses a danger to the lives of communities where these activities are taking place.

The DA will further engage with Premier Lesufi, MEC Mazibuko, and other relevant stakeholders to find a workable solution to curb illegal mining in Gauteng.

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R42 million budget allocated to Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre is of no benefit to Gauteng residents

The Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) has no control room to monitor any disaster that might occur, or measures in place to proactively address it.

A reactive response system is completely unacceptable and poses a risk to the safety of residents.

During an oversight inspection of the PDMC today, the DA found empty desks and no manager on site to ensure efficient operations.

See the photo here.

This is cause for grave concern, as this centre receives a budget of over R42 million, yet there is nothing to show for it.

Furthermore, with the current cold front sweeping across the province, proactive steps must be taken by the PDMC to ensure that any resident who may require assistance is promptly assisted.

The DA is urging the Gauteng Provincial Government to learn from their counterparts in the Western Cape when it comes to disaster management. The Western Cape has a fully operational PDMC with a monitoring system in place for any disaster that might occur in the province.

The DA will be tabling further questions in the GPL to determine how many staff members are employed, who the managers are, and the role of the centre in case of a disaster. We will also be calling for documented standard operating procedures which include proactive and reactive disaster management response plans.

Our residents deserve a proactive government that continuously looks at ways of improving service delivery to the people of Gauteng.

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DA to visit families of victims of the Boksburg gas leak tragedy

Tomorrow, Tuesday, 11 July 2023, the Official Leader of the Opposition in Gauteng, Solly Msimanga MPL, the DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Community Safety, Crezane Bosch MPL, the DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Community Safety, Ruhan Robinson MPL, the DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nico De Jager MPL, the DA Germiston Constituency Head, Michele Clarke MP, and the DA Ward 21 PR Councillor, Cllr Alta De Beer will visit the families of the victims of the gas leak at Angelo Informal Settlement in Boksburg.

Last week, 17 people died, and more than 16 were injured due to a nitrate oxide leak from a gas cylinder used by illegal miners to clean gold dust.

The DA will visit the victims’ families to share our heartfelt condolences. We will also engage with the surviving victims and the community to establish the challenges brought by illegal miners in the community.

We will also assess whether there is police visibility in the area, and we The DA will continue to demand a workable strategy from the Gauteng Provincial Government to deal with illegal mining in the province.

The media is invited, and there will be an opportunity for interviews and photographs.

Details of the oversight visit are as follows:

Date: 11 July 2023
Time: 08:00 am
Address: Angelo Informal Settlement, Boksburg, Johannesburg East.

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DA to conduct oversight inspection at Provincial Disaster Management Centre in Midrand

Today, 10 July 2023, the Official Leader of the Opposition in Gauteng, Solly Msimanga MPL, DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nico De Jager MPL and Cllr Annette Deppe will be conducting an oversight inspection of the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre in Midrand.

The Provincial Disaster Management Centre is mainly responsible for coordinating disaster events and is the primary unit for disaster management in the province, providing support to the National Disaster Management Centre, Metropolitan and District Disaster Management Centres.

The Provincial Disaster Management Centre has been allocated R42 606 000 for the 2023/2024 financial year. The DA will assess the Provincial Disaster Management Centre’s readiness should there be a total collapse of the electricity grid and any other major disasters.

Furthermore, we will also be determining what level of support this facility provides to municipalities, especially during seasons when there is a high risk of flooding and fires.

The media is invited, and there will be an opportunity for interviews and photographs.

Details of the oversight visit are as follows:

Date: 10 July 2023
Time: 10:00am
Address: 11 Janadel Avenue, Riverview Office Park, Block B, Halfway House, Midrand