The Department of Social Development could not spend R121 million of its allocated R3,3 billion budget in the previous financial year. Monies lie unspent while people of the Eastern Cape face high rates of unemployment, rising food costs, and increased poverty. Our province is facing a growing pandemic of homelessness. No provincial or national government department seems to be taking the lead to tackle this issue that strips people of …
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Residents of the Eastern Cape will be hard-pressed to find support from the Department of Social Services in their time of need. Overworked officials, runaway vacancies and a general lack of resources are bringing the delivery of critical services to a grinding halt. Residents are forced to stand in queues for hours, and if they are lucky enough to find an official, the chances are they will not be helped …
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Although the various provincial departments, under the guidance of the ANC, have been outspoken about fighting against the ever-rising pandemic of gender-based violence (GBV), the actual services rendered to victims have decreased. How can the ANC government claim that they are serious about fighting the scourge of GBV when in real terms, they are cutting budgets and closing the very facilities that have been established to assist people in their …
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The report tabled by the chairperson on Office of The Premier (OTP) highlights the need for real change in the operations of our government departments, as they are struggling to deliver quality services. We have seen how the operations of three departments have been hampered because HOD’s for Health, Education and DRDAR have still not been appointed. Furthermore, the organograms for the departments of Public Works, Education, Health and Treasury …
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At a time when millions of South Africans are battling financially and the Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni, has repeatedly called for cost-cutting measures, the Office of the Premier has blown millions on laptops and cell phones. Not only has the Premier’s office blown R1,5 million on new laptops for officials in the last financial year, up from R930 000 the year before, they also spent over R5,7 million on …
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Honourable Speaker All protocols observed. During the past two weeks, I was part of oversight visits to ensure school readiness in the Sarah Baartman District in the Eastern Cape. My heart broke to have experienced so many people, young and old, walking the streets aimlessly, begging for money or something to eat while we pay exorbitant taxes to the government that should be used to help them. The provincial unemployment …
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Despite Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane’s assurances that the average provincial turnaround from invoice to payment is down to 14 days, provincial departments are not paying suppliers on time. The latest available data shows that outstanding invoices older than 30 days were in excess of R2 billion. A capable state knows that SMMEs have the potential to be key economic and job creation drivers in turning around a contracting provincial …
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Honourable Speaker All protocols observed Speaker It’s hard to argue that housing is not a fundamental human need as there’s no place like home, we all say! Now let’s reflect on the report that was tabled today, as leaders need to be facilitators to help the poor and vulnerable experience a better life, in a dignified house. Hon. Speaker The 2019/2020 annual report we are considering today highlights two fundamental …
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Honourable Speaker All protocols observed The report tabled today by the Chairperson of the Multi-Party Portfolio Committee on Office of The Premier (OTP) ensures that oversight reporting on performance is brought to this August House for debate and hopefully corrective action. The Office of the Premier received an unqualified audit opinion with matters of emphasis during the year under review. Interestingly this means that the AG felt that additional disclosure …
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Premier Oscar Mabuyane must immediately institute a plagiarism audit of all policy documents produced across all departments of his provincial administration, if he hopes to restore the public’s faith in provincial government processes. Our journey into the fourth industrial revolution cannot be based on flawed planning if we are to build a capable state. This follows after the hasty withdrawal of the ICT framework document, titled Provincial Digital Transformation Framework …
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