We are here today to say: Nelson Mandela Bay can never go back to the looting and neglect it suffered under the ANC. We are here to put the people of this city first.
And we are not alone in this fight. This is confirmed by a letter signed by leaders from every major church group in NMB in which they say: “We do not support the current political initiative to remove the Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay. We believe it will have the catastrophic effect of seriously destabilising our metro at this critical juncture.”
The people of NMB want accountability from their government. They want service delivery, they want jobs and they want to feel safe in their communities. And they will not get this from the ANC.
For many years this great city of Nelson Mandela Bay was under attack. Not an attack from an outside force, but an attack from its very own government.
Under the ANC, every project, every tender, every procurement contract was simply a chance for someone connected to the government to make money. Everything had a double price tag – one price for the project and another for the profit of the corrupt official.
DA Leader Mmusi Maimane greets the people of Nelson Mandela Bay
Billions of Rands meant for the poorest people of the city ended up in the pockets of cadres and their crooked cronies. In the process education, health, housing, infrastructure and basic service delivery were all left in ruin.
In the absence of law and order, violent crime skyrocketed and gangs took over large parts of the metro. Life for the people of NMB got worse here by the day.
The ANC had successfully carried out the most complete plunder of a city our country has ever seen.
When the DA campaigned here in 2016, this is what we promised to fix. We said: All we care about is returning this city to its people – improving services, making neighbourhoods safer and bringing back jobs.
We also said that whoever shared these priorities could be our partners in rebuilding Nelson Mandela Bay.
It turns out this is exactly what the people wanted here, as more people voted for the DA in 2016 than for any other party. The message was loud and clear: The days of the corrupt ANC here in NMB are done.
Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Athol Trollip addresses residents at the Babs Madlakane Hall in KwaNobuhle.
But it wasn’t just the people of NMB who showed the ANC the door. We had the support of most of the opposition parties too, and particularly the EFF.
Julius Malema made it very clear back then that his mission was to help save NMB from the ANC. This is what he said just after the election results were announced:
“We are the biggest enemy of the ANC. The ANC will not get a single vote from the EFF. We will vote for the opposition because the ANC must be removed from power.”
But now, barely 19 months later, Julius Malema has made another of his trademark flip-flops. He has forgotten everything he said about the ANC here in NMB, and he has made a deal with them to put them back into power.
Yes, the same ANC that bled this city dry is now being offered the keys to the money box by the man who claimed to be its biggest enemy.
Now if there was a reason for getting rid of the DA here, I could maybe understand this. If the DA had failed to deliver on its promise to the people, or if the DA had turned out to be corrupt like the ANC, I could understand why Julius Malema would consider this.
But there is no such reason. In Malema’s own words, he is doing this to get rid of Mayor Athol Trollip simply because he is white. He doesn’t even try to hide his racism any longer.
47% of the people here voted for the DA. Only 5% voted for the EFF. The vast majority of people here don’t care for Malema’s racist rants. They don’t care for his personal vendettas.
And the people certainly do not want the ANC back in charge here.
Yesterday the ANC councillor Andile Lungisa appeared in court on charges relating to violence in the Council Chamber, where he smashed a water jug over a Mayoral Committee Member’s head. That’s who the ANC and the EFF want to let back in here.
Fellow South Africans, 19 months is not a long time in government. But when you have a point to prove about serving the people, 19 months is more than enough. Since August 2016, this DA government under Mayor Athol Trollip has shown the previous ANC government up for the rotten, thieving mob it is.
Mayor Trollip’s effect is visible in every single aspect of governance in this city.
NMB now has, for the first time ever, a Metro Police Force with two satellite stations – one of them right here in Kwanobuhle. These Metro cops don’t only police routine law enforcement, they have also made arrests in significant crimes like murder and attempted murder.
The city also now has Shotspotter technology in several crime hotspots, which detects gunshots and dispatches police to the exact location. Seventeen gang-related arrests in recent months have been linked to information provided by this new technology.
Mayor Trollip has made it his mission to clean up this city – both in terms of rubbish on the street and corruption in its administration. He has authorised multiple investigations and prosecutions into money lost to corruption under the previous administration.
Projects that lay dormant for years under the ANC have been resurrected under the DA. Title deeds have been handed to residents, facilities like the Thusong Customer Care Centre in Motherwell have been completed and public spaces like Seyesi Square in KwaZakhele have been developed.
Here in Kwanobuhle this DA government has installed lighting along the main road, fixed water leaks and painted road markings. And that’s just the start.
In a very short space of time the DA has made a massive difference to the way this city operates. And all of this progress is now threatened by one racist demagogue on a power trip. Julius Malema doesn’t mind taking NMB back to the days of looting under the ANC as long as he and his 5% party get to win their personal power game.
Is this what the people of NMB want? Is this what the people of NMB deserve? Absolutely not!
The people of NMB want opportunities to get ahead in life. They want access to jobs and they want to own their land. They don’t want to become permanent tenants on land that belongs to the state, which is what the EFF and ANC want.
The DA will not take this lying down. We will fight this hostile takeover of NMB with everything we have. We will continue to say: Hands off Mayor Trollip! Let him serve the people!
And then, in next year’s election, we will put this matter beyond all doubt when we kick both the ANC and the EFF out of NMB for good.
The people of Nelson Mandela Bay are united behind Mayor Athol Trollip and a DA-led Nelson Mandela Bay
\nYesterday the ANC councillor Andile Lungisa appeared in court on charges relating to violence in the Council Chamber, where he smashed a water jug over a Mayoral Committee Member’s head. That’s who the ANC and the EFF want to let back in here.
\n
\nFellow South Africans, 19 months is not a long time in government. But when you have a point to prove about serving the people, 19 months is more than enough. Since August 2016, this DA government under Mayor Athol Trollip has shown the previous ANC government up for the rotten, thieving mob it is.
\n
\nMayor Trollip’s effect is visible in every single aspect of governance in this city.
\n
\nNMB now has, for the first time ever, a Metro Police Force with two satellite stations – one of them right here in Kwanobuhle. These Metro cops don’t only police routine law enforcement, they have also made arrests in significant crimes like murder and attempted murder.
\n
\nThe city also now has Shotspotter technology in several crime hotspots, which detects gunshots and dispatches police to the exact location. Seventeen gang-related arrests in recent months have been linked to information provided by this new technology.
\n
\nMayor Trollip has made it his mission to clean up this city – both in terms of rubbish on the street and corruption in its administration. He has authorised multiple investigations and prosecutions into money lost to corruption under the previous administration.
\n
\nProjects that lay dormant for years under the ANC have been resurrected under the DA. Title deeds have been handed to residents, facilities like the Thusong Customer Care Centre in Motherwell have been completed and public spaces like Seyesi Square in KwaZakhele have been developed.
\n
\nHere in Kwanobuhle this DA government has installed lighting along the main road, fixed water leaks and painted road markings. And that’s just the start.
\n
\nIn a very short space of time the DA has made a massive difference to the way this city operates. And all of this progress is now threatened by one racist demagogue on a power trip. Julius Malema doesn’t mind taking NMB back to the days of looting under the ANC as long as he and his 5% party get to win their personal power game.
\n
\nIs this what the people of NMB want? Is this what the people of NMB deserve? Absolutely not!
\n
\nThe people of NMB want opportunities to get ahead in life. They want access to jobs and they want to own their land. They don’t want to become permanent tenants on land that belongs to the state, which is what the EFF and ANC want.
\n
\nThe DA will not take this lying down. We will fight this hostile takeover of NMB with everything we have. We will continue to say: Hands off Mayor Trollip! Let him serve the people!
\n
\nAnd then, in next year’s election, we will put this matter beyond all doubt when we kick both the ANC and the EFF out of NMB for good.
\n
The people of Nelson Mandela Bay are united behind Mayor Athol Trollip and a DA-led Nelson Mandela Bay
\n","__typename":"Content"},"Media:null":{"id":null,"source_url":null,"title":null,"__typename":"Media"},"Taxonomy:4":{"id":"4","slug":"news","taxonomy":"category","name":"News","__typename":"Taxonomy"},"Taxonomy:115":{"id":"115","slug":"speeches","taxonomy":"category","name":"Speeches","__typename":"Taxonomy"},"Taxonomy:31":{"id":"31","slug":"anc","taxonomy":"post_tag","name":"ANC","__typename":"Taxonomy"},"Taxonomy:2886":{"id":"2886","slug":"babs-madlakane-hall","taxonomy":"post_tag","name":"Babs Madlakane Hall","__typename":"Taxonomy"},"Taxonomy:13":{"id":"13","slug":"eff","taxonomy":"post_tag","name":"EFF","__typename":"Taxonomy"},"Taxonomy:216":{"id":"216","slug":"mmusi-maimane","taxonomy":"post_tag","name":"Mmusi Maimane","__typename":"Taxonomy"},"$Post:35496.meta.person":{"member":"Mmusi Maimane","role":"Leader of the Democratic Alliance","hasMember":true,"__typename":"Person"},"$Post:35496.meta":{"person":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:35496.meta.person","typename":"Person"},"__typename":"Meta"},"Taxonomy:4305":{"id":"4305","name":"Straight Talk","slug":"straight-talk","taxonomy":"category","__typename":"Taxonomy"},"Taxonomy:2993":{"id":"2993","name":"Where We Govern","slug":"where-we-govern","taxonomy":"category","__typename":"Taxonomy"},"Post:60164":{"id":"60164","slug":"da-calls-for-urgent-clarity-from-sassa-on-lack-of-funding-for-disability-grants","date":"2021-01-22T13:05:17","formattedDate":"22 Jan 2021","title":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60164.title","typename":"Title"},"content":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60164.content","typename":"Content"},"excerpt":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60164.excerpt","typename":"Excerpt"},"category":[{"type":"id","generated":false,"id":"Taxonomy:4","typename":"Taxonomy"}],"featured_media":{"type":"id","generated":false,"id":"Media:60168","typename":"Media"},"__typename":"Post"},"$Post:60164.title":{"rendered":"DA calls for urgent clarity from SASSA on lack of funding for disability grants","__typename":"Title"},"$Post:60164.content":{"rendered":"
The South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) recent admission that it does not have enough money to reinstate and extend the temporary disability grants that lapsed at the end of December is a massive cause for concern. According to SASSA’s executive manager responsible for grants administration, Dianne Dunkerley, the Agency only has R411 million of the R1.2 billion needed to extend the grant payments.
\n
SASSA’s problem to continue to extend disability grant payments is one of its own making. Since the announcement of a continued Covid-19 lockdown, after the initial lockdown of three weeks, the Agency should have foreseen the extension of lapsing disability grant payments and planned accordingly. The Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, is on the National Corona Command Council (NCCC) after all. But instead of ensuring that South Africa’s most vulnerable receive continuous financial aid essential to their health, well-being and survival, the Minister busied herself with regulations that sought to hamper vital aid reaching millions of people.
\n
Had SASSA shown more haste in early 2020 to process applications and ensured that their offices were fully capacitated and that all posts for medical personnel to do the assessments were filled, the crisis could have been contained. But once again, it knowingly walked into a preventable situation – maybe because the SASSA CEO, Busisiwe Memela-Khambula, and the Minister rarely have to face the consequences of their ineptness and callousness.
\n
SASSA needs to urgently reach out to National Treasury to seek a solution, because those reliant on social grants do not have days or weeks to wait. The grants they receive are often the only source of income and takes care of whole families. To put it bluntly; without their grant payments many people will starve. They cannot survive without it and the fear that they might have to because of SASSA’s impotence is beyond cruel.
\n
While we welcome Minister Zulu’s announcement that she will table a plan in the next two weeks – a promise that we will most definitely hold her to – the Minister must consider that while she’s working away on her plan, some people might go hungry in this time. SASSA’s has known about the expiration for months now. Why is the Minister only looking for a solution now? This calamity was completely preventable and is 100% on the Minister and SASSA’s hands.
\n
The Minister’s plan has to be more than vague placations so characteristic of the ANC government. It must be detailed and answer crucial questions on:
\n
\n
The number of beneficiaries being assessed in each province and how to increase the capacity to process each application;
\n
The amount of applications that will be processed each day to deal with the backlog and how long it will take to clear it in its entirety;
\n
The number of doctors and medical personnel that have been hired in each province and whether this will be sufficient to effectively deal with the backlog;
\n
The employment of easy and easily accessible online applications for those able to access the internet;
\n
The redeployment of the promised volunteers and community activists to assist those unable to access online platforms so that they don’t have to expose themselves to a dangerous virus to stand in line at SASSA offices; and
\n
How SASSA plans to cover the financial cost of eradicating the backlog.
\n
\n
Let’s be clear, the solution cannot include under any circumstances the non-payment of disability grants to beneficiaries. SASSA dug this hole, and SASSA must suffer the consequences – not the grant recipients who have spent days in the wind and the rain in the hopes of being one of only 50 to be allowed entry in the offices to try and solve their desperation, and are too scared to return home because they have to face the hunger of their children.
\n
They might not have a crumb to eat and little prospect of finding alternative funding to buy food. Has the Minister ever felt the unending ache of being truly hungry and knowing that there is nothing to be done about it? If she had, she might have had more empathy for those in her care. She would surely not have just stood by and watched as vulnerable people were sprayed with water cannons outside SASSA offices.
\n
SASSA and Minister Zulu is a blight on society. They are a plague as insidious and dangerous as Covid-19, and as uncaring about their victims. Minister Zulu should have been fired a long time ago.
The South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) recent admission that it does not have enough money to reinstate and extend the temporary disability grants that lapsed at the end of December is a massive cause for concern. According to SASSA’s executive manager responsible for grants administration, Dianne Dunkerley, the Agency only has R411 million of
\n","__typename":"Excerpt"},"Media:60168":{"id":"60168","source_url":"https://cdn.da.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/22131546/SASSA-disability-grant.webp","title":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Media:60168.title","typename":"Title"},"__typename":"Media"},"$Media:60168.title":{"rendered":"SASSA disability grant","__typename":"Title"},"Post:60155":{"id":"60155","slug":"the-da-mourns-the-passing-of-jackson-mthembu","date":"2021-01-21T15:59:25","formattedDate":"21 Jan 2021","title":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60155.title","typename":"Title"},"content":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60155.content","typename":"Content"},"excerpt":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60155.excerpt","typename":"Excerpt"},"category":[{"type":"id","generated":false,"id":"Taxonomy:4","typename":"Taxonomy"}],"featured_media":{"type":"id","generated":false,"id":"Media:60158","typename":"Media"},"__typename":"Post"},"$Post:60155.title":{"rendered":"The DA mourns the passing of Jackson Mthembu","__typename":"Title"},"$Post:60155.content":{"rendered":"
I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of ANC stalwart and my former parliamentary colleague, adversary and friend, Jackson Mthembu. The news of his death this afternoon comes as a great shock, and I can only imagine the devastating impact this must have on those who were close to him.
\n
On behalf of the DA, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to his family, his friends and his party. You have lost a generous man with a big heart and an even bigger sense of humour. To say that Jackson was much loved would be some understatement.
\n
During the time that we served opposite each other in the National Assembly as chief whips of our respective parties, I came to know him well and I saw a side to him that explains why he was such a revered figure in the ANC.
\n
I knew him as a man of integrity, and someone who managed to see the bigger picture and the greater cause. He was always prepared to do what it took to find solutions to whatever impasse we might have been facing in the House. If this meant meeting up long after the working day was done to thrash out the details of an agreement, then Jackson would do so in a heartbeat.
\n
His passing will be mourned by all who knew him and everyone who worked with him, whether in his party, in cabinet or around the parliamentary precinct. I pray that his loved ones find strength and comfort in this difficult time.
I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of ANC stalwart and my former parliamentary colleague, adversary and friend, Jackson Mthembu. The news of his death this afternoon comes as a great shock, and I can only imagine the devastating impact this must have on those who were close to him. On behalf of
\n","__typename":"Excerpt"},"Media:60158":{"id":"60158","source_url":"https://cdn.da.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/21160132/WhatsApp-Image-2021-01-21-at-15.59.55.jpeg","title":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Media:60158.title","typename":"Title"},"__typename":"Media"},"$Media:60158.title":{"rendered":"WhatsApp Image 2021-01-21 at 15.59.55","__typename":"Title"},"Post:60152":{"id":"60152","slug":"da-calls-on-minister-motsoaledi-to-intervene-in-queue-chaos-outside-home-affairs-offices","date":"2021-01-21T14:19:30","formattedDate":"21 Jan 2021","title":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60152.title","typename":"Title"},"content":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60152.content","typename":"Content"},"excerpt":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60152.excerpt","typename":"Excerpt"},"category":[{"type":"id","generated":false,"id":"Taxonomy:4","typename":"Taxonomy"}],"featured_media":{"type":"id","generated":false,"id":"Media:60153","typename":"Media"},"__typename":"Post"},"$Post:60152.title":{"rendered":"DA calls on Minister Motsoaledi to intervene in queue chaos outside Home Affairs offices","__typename":"Title"},"$Post:60152.content":{"rendered":"
The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, to implement urgent queue management measures outside of Home Affairs offices to keep citizens safe.
\n
Despite scenes of citizens huddled in long queues outside of Home Affairs offices across South Africa, with no social distancing measures in place, no apparent action has been taken. Instead the ANC government sends battalions to the beaches to arrest surfers.
\n
Although Home Affairs have slashed available services, queue marshalls stationed at Home Affairs offices throughout South Africa as part of the failed ‘war on queues’ initiative seem incapable of carrying out their role effectively.
\n
The ‘war on queues’ was announced as a ministerial priority in 2018 and in 2019 measures hot spotting long queues, a ticketing system, special queue for online systems and an app to allow renewals to be processed without applying in the office were announced by Home Affairs. To date, all these initiatives have been false promises.
\n
Citizens are driven to Home Affairs offices due to a lack of birth registration facilities at hospitals and a lack of effective mobile units to take basic Home Affairs services to the people.
\n
The staff usually positioned in the Home Affairs offices that are now sitting at home while these people queue outside for hours could be allocated to assist with queue management outside of the offices. Queue marshalls could be monitored to ensure effective queue management. The SAPS could be called on to provide monitoring services. But doing nothing is not an option.
\n
The DA will write to the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs to demand a plan be tabled by the Minister as he appears unmoved by scenes outside of Home Affairs offices.
\n
We will continue to fight for the rights of South Africans to be treated with dignity by the Government that is supposed to serve them.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, to implement urgent queue management measures outside of Home Affairs offices to keep citizens safe. Despite scenes of citizens huddled in long queues outside of Home Affairs offices across South Africa, with no social distancing measures in place, no apparent action has
\n","__typename":"Excerpt"},"Media:60153":{"id":"60153","source_url":"https://cdn.da.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/21141907/bheki-orlando-homeaffairs-main.jpeg","title":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Media:60153.title","typename":"Title"},"__typename":"Media"},"$Media:60153.title":{"rendered":"bheki-orlando-homeaffairs-main","__typename":"Title"},"Post:60140":{"id":"60140","slug":"straight-talk-vaccine-rollout-would-have-been-well-underway-with-a-da-national-government","date":"2021-01-21T12:49:35","formattedDate":"21 Jan 2021","title":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60140.title","typename":"Title"},"content":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60140.content","typename":"Content"},"excerpt":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60140.excerpt","typename":"Excerpt"},"category":[{"type":"id","generated":false,"id":"Taxonomy:4","typename":"Taxonomy"},{"type":"id","generated":false,"id":"Taxonomy:4305","typename":"Taxonomy"}],"featured_media":{"type":"id","generated":false,"id":"Media:48624","typename":"Media"},"__typename":"Post"},"$Post:60140.title":{"rendered":"Vaccine rollout would have been well underway with a DA national government.","__typename":"Title"},"$Post:60140.content":{"rendered":"
This is my first newsletter of the year. On behalf of the Democratic Alliance, I wish you and your family a healthy, happy 2021.
\n
Last year was exceptionally dark and this year is looking darker still. Lives continue to be lost, businesses continue to shutter, and investment drains away, while our heavily indebted government claims to have no money to compensate households suffering the worst ravages of lockdown restrictions.
\n
But the development of a safe, effective vaccine for Covid-19 means there is light at the end of this tunnel.
\n
There is no higher priority for South Africa this year than to roll out vaccines. We are in a race against this virus, which is mutating as it transmits, and we will only win this race with a swift, efficient vaccine rollout. Specifically, frontline workers and the most vulnerable among us need to be vaccinated by end April to avoid the worst ravages of a third wave as we head into winter.
\n
Had the DA been in national government, we would be vaccinating thousands of people each day right now, as is underway in many other middle-income countries.
\n
But our incapable ANC government has massively dropped the ball on acquiring an adequate supply of vaccines, failing to place orders with manufacturers on time, even as it insists on being the sole procurer. So thousands of lives, millions of jobs and billions of rands of tax revenue will be lost unnecessarily this year and next as the government continues to use the blunt instrument of blanket restrictions to slow the spread of the virus.
\n
Ever since Covid-19 hit our shores, the DA has been calling on government to focus on the big, high-impact interventions, given South Africa’s precarious situation of limited resources and wiggle room.
\n
It’s all about priorities.
\n
As I set out in my speech on Monday, the three biggest interventions are building healthcare capacity, rolling out a proper testing and tracing programme to isolate the virus, and rolling out vaccines. Government has failed on all three while going all out on often petty, meaningless lockdown restrictions. Only in the DA-run Western Cape province was healthcare capacity boosted and an efficient testing and tracing programme undertaken.
\n
The DA understands that when it comes to vaccines, no effort is too great nor price too high so that we can fully reopen our economy. Consider that a full rollout programme is estimated to cost R8.6 to 16.4 billion, about the cost of one day of hard lockdown – R13 billion – and a fraction of the R389 billion of economic output lost in 2020 due to lockdown.
\n
Yet Ramaphosa’s government has shown unforgivable disinterest (see here and here) in acquiring vaccines, with the result that South Africa is now at the back of the queue and scrambling to pick up any scraps we can, at double the price. As a group of eminent scientists put it:
\n
This lack of foresight will visit on us the consequences of the greatest man-made failure to protect the population since the Aids pandemic, when we refused to provide life-saving medicines out of choice and against the desperate pleas of horrified medical and humanitarian agencies here and abroad and directly caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. A high probability of a reprise of this is a monumental and unforgivable failing.
\n
To make matters worse, government initially sought to cover for their failure by downplaying the importance of vaccines. This is grossly irresponsible, given that 53% of adult South Africans are already suspicious of the vaccine. Fortunately, government retracted after a swift backlash from top scientists (see here and here).
\n
Given the unconscionable corruption in PPE purchasing last year, we should not disregard the possibility that government’s reluctance to negotiate with vaccine manufacturers is because the politically connected are hoping for kickbacks from contracts with Russian and Chinese suppliers.
\n
But perhaps they simply got their priorities wrong and were too focused on their (net harmful) blanket bans on alcohol, beaches and freedom of movement that have so distracted Police Minister Bheki Cele from doing his real job of fighting real crimes that contribute to real pressure on our trauma units.
\n
Or perhaps they failed to prioritise funding and so missed the first two Covax payment deadlines and avoided direct negotiations with suppliers. Indeed, the national department of health offered lack of funds as the reason, blaming National Treasury for their reluctance to pay deposits.
\n
In a damning interview last week, President Ramaphosa claimed that government’s failure to secure vaccines was because they couldn’t afford the risk of losing deposits if trials proved unsuccessful. Yet this is an outright lie, since the advance market commitments required to secure a supply of vaccines promise a refund for unsuccessful trials, as noted by Professor Shabir Mahdi, who headed up the vaccines trials in SA.
\n
Whatever the true reason, the fact remains that President Ramaphosa was lying when he claimed government has been negotiating for the past six months, when in fact they only started serious negotiations this year. No matter how he spins it, he is fast losing people’s trust at a time when trust in his government is all important to secure a swift rollout once we receive a supply of vaccines.
\n
He was also lying when he claimed in his address to the nation on 11 January that government has a comprehensive plan to vaccinate 40 million people this year. This is no more than wishful thinking, and virtually impossible to attain. Even 20 million will be an extraordinary undertaking.
\n
Yet more evidence of the ANC government’s rank failure to prioritise vaccines is that corrupt, incapable Deputy President David Mabuza is heading the vaccine task team responsible for the rollout.
\n
On The Inside Track yesterday, DA national spokesperson Siviwe Gwarube brilliantly unpacked the vaccine issue in discussion with WC Premier Alan Winde, health economist Professor Alex van den Heever, and DA shadow minister of finance, Geordin Hill-Lewis.
\n
What is the DA doing about all this?
\n
Firstly, we are applying maximum political pressure, which has succeeded in prompting the government to finally get serious about vaccines.
\n
Secondly, in the Western Cape we are taking steps to acquire vaccines directly and readying for a swift rollout once we get supply.
\n
Thirdly, we are pursuing legal action to compel government to provide a full, detailed vaccine procurement and distribution plan against which we can hold them accountable, like the mechanism by which they were finally forced to roll out HIV treatment.
\n
Perhaps most importantly, we are preparing to contest the 2021 local elections, to offer South Africans an alternative to the incapable, uncaring ANC. Breaking the news this week of a vaccine tax hike, government said people will just have to “bite the bullet”. Well, most taxpayers don’t have bullets, but they do have ballots, and 2021 is the year to make them count.
This is my first newsletter of the year. On behalf of the Democratic Alliance, I wish you and your family a healthy, happy 2021. Last year was exceptionally dark and this year is looking darker still. Lives continue to be lost, businesses continue to shutter, and investment drains away, while our heavily indebted government claims
\n","__typename":"Excerpt"},"Media:48624":{"id":"48624","source_url":"https://cdn.da.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/31123127/465x298.png","title":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Media:48624.title","typename":"Title"},"__typename":"Media"},"$Media:48624.title":{"rendered":"465×298","__typename":"Title"},"Post:60137":{"id":"60137","slug":"da-calls-for-parliamentary-ad-hoc-committee-to-oversee-deputy-presidents-vaccine-rollout-team","date":"2021-01-21T12:37:46","formattedDate":"21 Jan 2021","title":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60137.title","typename":"Title"},"content":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60137.content","typename":"Content"},"excerpt":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$Post:60137.excerpt","typename":"Excerpt"},"category":[{"type":"id","generated":false,"id":"Taxonomy:4","typename":"Taxonomy"}],"featured_media":{"type":"id","generated":false,"id":"Media:59748","typename":"Media"},"__typename":"Post"},"$Post:60137.title":{"rendered":"DA calls for Parliamentary ad hoc committee to oversee Deputy President’s vaccine rollout team","__typename":"Title"},"$Post:60137.content":{"rendered":"
Please find the attached soundbite by Siviwe Gwarube MP.
\n
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thandi Modise, to request the urgent establishment of a Parliamentary ad hoc committee, in terms of Section 253 of the Rules of the National Assembly and Section 42.3 of the Constitution, to perform oversight over the interministerial committee (IMC) headed by Deputy President David Mabuza that has been announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
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It is important that Parliament starts to play its oversight role effectively. The DA has previously called on the establishment of an ad hoc committee to perform oversight over the Executive during the lockdown. The Speaker held at the time that the Portfolio Committee on Health could perform such a function. However, now that an IMC on the rollout of the vaccine plan has been established, a multi-party, multi-portfolio ad hoc committee which will have direct oversight over this IMC is vital.
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It is critical now more than ever that the Deputy President and this IMC are directly accountable to Parliament and the people it represents for the life-altering decisions it will be making.
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Included in our letter to the Speaker will be a call that the ad hoc committee meets every week with multi-party representation where the IMC can report on their decisions. This will ensure the IMC’s transparency.
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Up until now, government has yet to be transparent with the rollout plan of the vaccine. Reports today indicate that the South African government will have to spend double what some other countries are paying for their vaccines – a direct consequence of the fact that government did not plan properly and did not start the negotiations in time. This is why transparency is crucial. We need to have a detailed vaccine rollout plan presented to Parliament for scrutiny and input.
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During this important phase of vaccine acquisition, we are yet to know from government how much is being spent on the various vaccine facilities; where the budget is being sourced from and whether the requisite procurement processes are being followed.
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Parliament is not just simply there as an inconvenient stakeholder which needs to be briefed on decisions that have already been made. It is there primarily to scrutinize these plans and to represent the people of South Africa fairly and effectively. We cannot do our job of holding government to account if the response to this pandemic is Executive heavy and has absolutely no oversight.
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Government’s response to the first wave of the pandemic proved that without proper oversight holding it to account, any plans would simply descend into corruption and looting of public funds as was meant for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other related products. This resulted from the fact that Parliament had no direct oversight on how much money was being spent, how much money was being allocated to provinces or some of the accountability mechanisms for departments.
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All that is left of the billions of Rands meant as aid in a devastating worldwide pandemic, is stagnating and obsolete investigations that will not yield the punishment of those who have stolen public money. We cannot allow the same thing to happen again. We cannot allow government to not be held accountable.
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We also need to make sure that government is prepared. It’s one thing to acquire a vaccine, it’s a whole other thing entirely to ensure that the vaccine is distributed; is stored well; that it’s not wasted and that it gets to every single corner of the country. This is why it would be crucial for the IMC to report weekly to Parliament on the various stages of the rollout plan.
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It’s time for Parliament to truly flex its muscles as the national legislature and oversight body in this country.
Please find the attached soundbite by Siviwe Gwarube MP. The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thandi Modise, to request the urgent establishment of a Parliamentary ad hoc committee, in terms of Section 253 of the Rules of the National Assembly and Section 42.3 of the Constitution, to perform