MPL Veliswa Mvenya, who also handles the Social Development-portfolio for the DA in Bhisho returned from a study-tour to Tanzania recently where it turned out the South Africans taught their hosts a thing or two. “There weren’t anything much we could learn from them. South Africa is the best compared to Tanzania in terms of [...]

The impact that the Democratic Alliance MPLs in the legislature are having in holding the government accountable for their actions is clearly evident in this issue of the Bhisho Brief. The caucus in the Eastern Cape continues to be a force for change, thus making a difference to improve governance and service delivery.

Legislature Leader Bobby Stevenson is offering some practical suggestions to government, which he has entitled “Agenda for Accountability”. This follows after Premier Noxolo Kiviet failed to spell in her recent State of the Province Address how accountability of her Cabinet and civil servants is going to be rigidly enforced. “Without accountability we do not get [...]

The insistence of answers from government has lead to an official forensic investigation being launched against a government top dog. MPL John Cupido exposed the dodgy appointment of the Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board’s chief executive Mabutho Zwane by submitting questions for written reply to Finance and Economic Development MEC Mcibisi Jonas recently.  In [...]

The DA’s month-long national education campaign came to a close in Port Elizabeth last weekend with a public rally attended by party leader Helen Zille. Provincial MPL and spokesperson on education, Edmund van Vuuren, was cheered when he pointed out some of the weakest points in the Eastern Cape Department of Education.

A motion by the DA’s province spokesperson on Local Government, Dacre Haddon, will be debated in the Bhisho Legislature next week to decide whether national and local government departments can be forced to pay their outstanding bills to municipalities for services rendered before the end of the financial year on 31 March 2010. Haddon’s motion [...]

A question for oral reply in the House brought the wrath of the Legislature on the MEC for Local Government recently after DA MPL Veliswa Mvenya exposed the shocking misuse of public funds by the already cash-strapped King Sabata Dalinyebo Municipality. In replying to the question from Mvenya, MEC Sicelo Gqobana had to admit to [...]

A well known Free State aeroplane operator has been implicated in an investigation into fraud of some R10 million in the Eastern Cape Department of Health. Eight senior officials from the department have been suspended thanks to a number of legislature questions to the MEC for Health by the DA’s Pine Pienaar during the past [...]

The Province is at a cross roads when it comes to service delivery. Public anger at failing schools, hospitals and dysfunctional municipalities has reached an all-time high. What this province needs is a unifying vision that will galvanise the Eastern Cape into collective action to turn the situation around. Real accountability for one’s actions must [...]

Intervention from the Bhisho MPLs has resulted in the Baviaans-municipality finally being paid by government. The matter was brought to the attention of the DA in Bhisho and after letters, a question for oral reply and personal meetings with various MECs, the money has now been paid.