OPPOSITION parties at the provincial legislature cried foul yesterday after they were excluded from a delegation to attend public hearings on the Protection of State Information Bill, to be held in three districts today. The delegation was later rejigged to accommodate their protests by legislature speaker Fikile Xasa.

THE Chief Parliamentary Officer at the provincial legislature has resigned after working for the institution since in 1994. Herlu Smith has now joined the Office of the Premier (OTP) as Chief State Law Adviser, a position previously held by Zoleka Fanana in an acting capacity. The position was left vacant in 2009 by Advocate Perry [...]

This updates my statement this morning in relation to opposition parties being excluded from the official delegation which was to accompany the National Council of Provinces ad hoc committee when they hold public hearings in the province on Thursday on the Protection of State Information Bill. Subsequent to my letter I was contacted by the [...]

In a shocking abuse of power and state resources the Eastern Cape Legislature has selected only ANC MPLs to officially accompany the National council of Provinces ad hoc committee when they hold public hearings in the province on Thursday on the Protection of State Information Bill.  Notice; NCOP hearings Protection of State Information Bill This [...]

The two-day lekgotla hosted by the Premier for members of the Executive Council, Mayors and CEO’s of parastatals needs to engage in some very serious introspection on the way forward for this province. Top of the agenda needs to be the issue of job creation and how we can make this a winning province which [...]

Meddling and cadre deployment caused education crisis that led to national intervention by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, writes Sam Mkokeli “THE department is not dealing with movie stars that will come back by popular demand,” Eastern Cape education MEC Stone Sizani said in 2001, as he faced public pressure to take back the sharp-shooting [...]

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). • [...]

This department is technically sound. It has competent people working for it. It is reasonably well managed and it continues to receive unqualified audit reports leading the Province in the consecutive number in a row. In short it is doing things right but the question which I, and members of the portfolio committee have is [...]

This bill is based on the recommendations of this House that was approved by SCOPA in June of this year. Although the Provincial Revenue Fund also has sufficient funds to cover the unauthorised expenditure contained in this Bill for 2007/8 through to 2009/10, this Bill must not be seen as a cure for the Province’s [...]

There are three reasons why the Democratic Alliance is opposed to this Adjustment 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 [...]