There is a rates fiasco within the Department of Local government and Traditional Affairs. Replying in a speech to the 2010/11 Annual report to the Eastern Cape Legislature today I raised the seriousness of wrong information given with regards to municipal rates policies.

The amount of housing beneficiaries without title deeds is a major concern. Since 1994 to 2009 the province has registered 224 344 houses according to an article in Financial Mail. The article also states that the low transfer rates of subsidised homes can be blamed on flawed administration processes which in turn delay the flow [...]

The DA motion to have ward committee elections in the province declared null and void was defeated by the ruling ANC today. All opposition parties supported the motion. My motion sought to annul ward committee elections in wards where due process in terms of section 73(3) of Municipal Structures Act was not followed.

It’s been a year since 114 schools in the rural areas of Transkei were damaged by storms but only 52 have been repaired so far. It is inconceivable that learners and educators in the other 62 wrecked schools are forced to brave the elements of nature. Tornados and heavy storms are an annual phenomenon from [...]

Schools that refuse to adhere to directives about post provisioning for 2012 are on a collision path with the Eastern Cape Department of Education. In the Port Elizabeth District there are 324 additional educators in 89 schools. The DA was reliably informed that only 17 out of the 89 schools have complied with Collective Agreement [...]

The Democratic Alliance urges all members of the community to be aware of the scourge of HIV/Aids and to take control of their own destinies. According to the Aids Prevalence Survey by the National Department of Health, almost a third (29, 9 %) of people in the Eastern Cape are infected with HIV.

The high rate of reported sexual crimes in the Eastern Cape and the latest Victims of Crime Survey, released today by Stats SA, highlight the vulnerability of women and children in our province. It is a timely reminder for all of us to throw our full weight behind combating crimes of violence against women and [...]

The R1, 683 billion Adjustments Appropriation Bill tabled in the Eastern Cape provincial legislature today (subs: 23 November) has an amount of R27,5 million for transfers to all political parties for the political party fund, constituency- and caucus funds. This Christmas bonus has come as a result of under expenditure in the legislature for the [...]

The Mayor, Chief Financial Officer and Municipal Manager of Gariep Municipality must be suspended for financial mismanagement. If the Eastern Cape MEC for Local Government, Mlibo Qoboshiyane, is at all serious about improving financial controls in the province he needs to take action and make examples of those officials who ignore the rules. According to [...]

The massive under expenditure on conditional grants and capital which is largely for infrastructural spending flies in the face of government’s attempts to create jobs. It is common cause that infrastructural spending results in job creation. Government is its own worst enemy when it comes to job creation. People are crying for houses. People are [...]