Making a difference, a force for change

I am proud to have resolved queries for our voters this year but I will mention those that I think touched my heart most:

There are traffic officers who worked in the former Transkei who were underpaid by the Department of Transport.  They have been sent from pillar to post since 2002 without any solution. When I joined the Transport Portfolio Committee I made this an issue to drive.   Readers will recall the reports in the Daily Dispatch about the fight I had with the Speaker of the legislature about the plight of these people. It is my great pleasure to report that they have finally received their money (thousands) thanks to the efforts of the DA.

Secondly, I was given a query by one of our councillors in Somerset-East whereby a number of learners at farm schools were struggling to get to school because they were excluded from the provincial scholar transport programme.  These under-privileged learners were forced to pay for their transport under very difficult circumstances.  I am proud to report that in January 2012 they will be transported for free through scholar transport programme.

The most important query I resolved this year and which touched me deeply is that of Skhumbuzo Mphithiphithi.  He is a LLB-student who had to drop out of university because he could not afford to pay his outstanding debt. He found work in a shop, having lost all hope to continue his studies.  His dreams turned back into reality when I asked the Premier to pay his debt and to pay for his future fees. He is now back at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, where he continues his studies.

The DA has embarked on the monitoring of matric marking at the fifteen marking centres in the province, as well as the correct capturing of marks.

We will be particularly attentive to specific risk areas which might discredit the whole process.

The DA visited four marking centres on Monday, 5 December, as part of oversight by the portfolio committee on education. These centres were St John’s College and Trinset College in Mthatha, Queenstown Girl’s High and Cradock High School.

The key risk areas that were scrutinised in-depth were scripts delivered to the centres, security of the scripts, and the integrity of the marking and whether back-up systems are in place, should any unforeseen eventuality occur.

Bobby Stevenson undergoes an HIV-test as part of the DA’s awareness campaign.

There are three reasons why the Democratic Alliance is opposed to this year’s Adjustments Appropriation Bill.

• The province lost R400 million that could have been rolled over that wasn’t rolled over due to incapacity to spend.
• The shifts from Capital and goods and services to cover over expenditure on personnel (costs COE).
• The R27.5 million additional transfers to political parties.

To pass this adjustments bill is like saying to a turkey or a sheep – you must look forward to Christmas.  You are going to get a lot of attention and lots of people are going to be very grateful and happy but in the end, you are going to get eaten.

The DA is not prepared to simply endorse a historical pattern that continues to repeat itself year in and year out.

Towards 2014...the staff and MPLs from the DA in Bhisho went on teambuilding session in Port Alfred last week to discuss the strategy of the DA legislature team going forward. In front, from the left: Tessa Botha (secretary), Edmund van Vuuren (MPL), Bobby Stevenson (MPL), Eve Viol (secretary) Cecile Greyling (media & research), Veliswa Mvenya (MPL). At the back: Dacre Haddon (MPL), Annette Rademeyer (PA) and John Cupido (MPL).

The recent legislature to the people event in Cofimvaba has raised a number of questions in the minds of many people. Is it a waste of money? Is it authentic? Is it necessary? The Democratic Alliance believes that there is definitely a place for public participation in the affairs of the legislature but certainly not in its current form.

The Democratic Alliance only agreed to participate if the normal speakers list applied. This provides the political parties with the opportunity to respond to the reports presented at the event. Originally there was discussion as to whether or not this would occur. After interaction with the ruling party it was agreed that speaker’s lists would be included. The DA was not prepared to simply engage in a window-dressing exercise where we sat back and watched the ruling party engage in “ANC to the people”.

Normally on a Wednesday when the legislature sits, questions for oral reply are the first item on the order paper. The ruling party declined to place this on the order paper and said this had the concurrence of other opposition parties. The DA’s objection was thus over ruled.

This is something more sinister than the game playing that the ANC engaged in with the connivance of other opposition parties to avoid questions for oral reply: the heart of democratic tradition was ripped out .

The DA believes in building a culture of democracy and accountability for the generations to come. We need to lay a solid foundation of parliamentary oversight that will serve the people not just of today but also in the years to come. Service delivery will never improve unless there is real accountability for governmental failures. This is not something that should be seen as a party political exercise but rather as a tradition that should be nurtured, encouraged and strictly enforced. The DA in the provincial legislature will continue to strive to make our legislature a more vibrant and relevant institution. The people deserve it and we will continue to lead the fight.

The threat of a strike by Sadtu members which is to coincide with the writing of the final Senior Certificate examinations on Friday and other final grade examinations will have a lasting, devastating effect, especially on Grade 12 learners. The rumours are causing uncertainty and confusion among learners and they are not sure whether they are indeed going to write. Sadtu should be blamed if our Grade 12’s do not perform to expectations.

This intended strike highlights the arrogance and the selfishness of the union. Their bombastic attitude that their rights are superior to the rights of learners should be condemned in the strongest sense possible. By embarking on this strike action, Sadtu is openly neglecting its core responsibilities towards the learners in that teachers should be assisting our learners as far as humanly possible.