The following speech was delivered on the second day of Parliament’s debate of the 2019 State of the Nation Address.
Mr. President last year you stood on this platform insisting that you had seen a contract between your son, Andile Ramaphosa, and BOSASA over the R500 000 donated to your family trust.
Today you have written to the Leader of the Official Opposition refuse to release the same contract you claim to have seen following his PAIA application. This is not the behavior of someone who has nothing to hide. It is now clear that between you, your son and BOSASA someone is hiding something.
Mr. President, I challenge you to release that contract when you come to this podium tomorrow. I challenge you to answer honestly once and for all. If you fail to do so, we will see you for who you are. A President who choose to cover up when confronted with an opportunity to be transparent.
Mr. President, the State of the Nation should be a brutally honest reflection of the state of our nation. Yours was a wish-list reflecting a nation many South Africans don’t live in. It did nothing to give hope to many poor South Africans that their lives will get better.
Mr. President last week you implored us to “watch the space” in your calculated attempt to serenade us into believing your empty promises.
Mr. President how much longer Mrs Christina Maake from Mandela Park in Modjadjiskloof “watch the space” to stop competing with livestock for water at their local river?
Mr. President, how much longer must Thulasize Mcwango in Msholozi informal settlement in Mbombela “watch the space” to have their homes electrified?
How much longer must Tlangelani Mabunda from Mninginisi Village in Giyani “watch the space” for a clinic in her area so they don’t travel more than 10 kilometres to their nearest one?
All these realities reflect the daily battle for survival for many poor black South Africans.
They don’t have patience or time to “watch the space” anymore. In fact, they are sick and tired of “watching the space”. They don’t want to hear another chorus of empty promises.
Our constitution reminds us daily that “South Africa belongs to all who live in it.”
We want a South Africa that works for all who live in it. We want a South African where every village has access to clean drinkable water. We want a South Africa where every family has access has a toilet in their household. We want a South African where the government is focused on speeding up the delivery of basic services.
Our approach to governance is governance is rooted in our party’s values of freedom, fairness, opportunity and opportunity.
DA governments give true meaning to freedom to residents who have suffered the indignity of waiting for long periods for basic services.
This is evidenced by the fact that 14 of the top 20 municipalities with the highest number of households with access to sanitation are in the Western Cape.
Our extensive cross subsidization of basic services to redress the wrongs of the past restores the dignity of poor communities.
To this end, the Western Cape has one of the highest number of households benefitting from free basic water and electricity.
Fairness is the light that guides our distribution of resources to improve the quality of life where we govern.
In this regard, communities in DA municipalities in the Western Cape have 97% access to electricity and 99% access to piped water stands (Stats SA).
All our governments spend their full budgets in poor areas: electrifying informal settlements, building toilets, upgrading roads, and installing taps all of which improve the quality of life for all here we govern.
Our governments get stuff done the right way, on time and within budget.
Where we err, we take responsibility for our shortcomings. We run honest government where we are in charge. Mr. President, how can you lead an honest government when you are in an arena with a congregation of the corrupt. Look to you left. Look to your right. And look behind you.
So, while you play Mr. Nice Guy to the corrupt ones your organization, we say good riddance to them.
Because while you talk, we get stuff done the right way, on time and within budget.
The National Health Insurance Fund is not the solution for our crumbling public health system. It is a shortsighted attempt to nationalize health care. Where we govern, we are investing billions to improve our public health infrastructure and enhance universal access to health care. The DA Western Cape Government has spent over R3.8 billion since 2009 to build world-class hospitals in Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain.
We are widening access to primary health care to poor communities in areas where such services didn’t exist before. It has upgraded 10 emergency centres to allow our hospitals to provide emergency services as quickly as possible. We have built 14 more primary health care centres to enable residents of the Western Cape to access health services closest to the communities they live in. We have built 11 new ambulance stations to empower our medical response teams to respond faster to demands for medical assistance.
All these groundbreaking interventions in our public health system place the Western Cape as the province with the highest percentage of households living within 30 minutes of the nearest health facility at 91% of the population. All of these delivery outcomes mean people live longer in the Western Cape because of the public health system here is functional.
While you talk about “watching the space”, we get stuff done the right way, on time and within budget.
Fellow South Africans, every election cycle the ANC pleads for more time in government to deliver on the promises they have consistently failed to deliver for the last 25 years.
It is as if they have somehow woken up to the realization that service delivery only takes place during election year. There is no doubt you will see more ribbons cut now. You will see more PR stunts of hand over of keys to the elderly. And of course, you will receive more food parcels.
You should ask them: where were they for the last 25 years when you were suffering. You should ask them: where were they for the last 25 years when you went hungry? You should ask them: where were they for the last 25 years when there was no water in your community? Don’t let them blackmail you into voting for them.
The ANC doesn’t deserve more time in government. They need more time in opposition. Now is the time to vote for change. Now is the time to vote for a government that has the urgency to deliver immediate services to our people.
Now is the time to vote for government that gets stuff done, the right way, on time and within budget.
And that government, is a DA government.