The failing infrastructure across the province, and indeed the country, is destroying small towns. Nowhere is the true neglect of government more evident than in the way municipal infrastructure has been allowed to deteriorate. I raised this matter in the National Council of Provinces yesterday, when I debated on the State of Municipal Infrastructure under the theme of “Building a viable Municipal Infrastructure Network for Effective and Efficient delivery of …


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Serious questions need to be asked of Department for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT) MEC, Mlungisi Mvoko, who refuses to reveal details of tenants that owe his Department millions in unpaid rent. In response to a parliamentary question relating to properties owned and operated by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), which falls under his Department, MEC Mvoko revealed that rental billing for the second quarter of the …


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It has become abundantly clear that the Eastern Cape Education Department is collapsing and is simply unable to meet the needs of the learners they should be educating. I have written to Premier Oscar Mabuyane, and the DA will be raising our concerns in the Education portfolio committee meeting, to call for immediate steps to be taken to address these shortfalls. During recent school oversight visits across the province, the …


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The people and businesses of the Eastern Cape will have to endure the worst of Eskom’s continuous rolling blackouts, as Premier Oscar Mabuyane has made it clear that there is no provincial plan to deal with the loadshedding crisis. Instead of leading the charge to get the province off the Eskom grid, the Premier has thrown his hands up in the air and made it clear that the province has …


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Today the Democratic Alliance has opened a case against Amathole District Municipal Manager, Thandekile Mnyimba, for allegedly making fraudulent representations regarding his senior qualifications when applying for his job. Mnyimba has long been a thorn in the side of good governance and is a clear example of everything that is wrong with the ANC’s cadre deployment programme. It has come to light that the senior certificate which Mnyimba allegedly provided …


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Nearly a decade later and with R38,5 million already spent, the only thing to show for the provincial government’s Bhisho Precinct pipedream is a patch of vacant land and empty promises. The staggering amount already spent on this failed project was revealed in response to a parliamentary question from the Democratic Alliance, by Premier Oscar Mabuyane. Download Response This catalytic project would see seven provincial departments that currently rent office …


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As the world celebrates international World Water Day today, the Democratic Alliance has launched our Water Watch Eastern Cape initiative. This initiative, which will monitor the water quality results of all Eastern Cape municipalities on a quarterly basis, will serve as a watchdog for the public because, more often than not, municipalities don’t release compromised water quality results. We have experienced, first hand, how the province’s two metros, Nelson Mandela …


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The Democratic Alliance would like to extend its sincerest condolences on the passing of Traditional Leader, Nkosi Ngangomhlaba Matanzima. Indeed, a great tree has fallen. Our heartfelt sympathies to his family, the House of Traditional Leaders and the Moral Regeneration Movement on his passing. Matanzima was one of the founding members of the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders and served the people of this province diligently and with integrity …


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Premier Oscar Mabuyane is living in a parallel universe – there is his state of the province, given this evening, and real state of the province. Mabuyane is acting as if everything is fine, whilst the province falls apart. The Premier spent a great deal of his time reporting on successes implemented by other stakeholders, and very little feedback on what his own administration has accomplished. He failed to address …


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Premier Oscar Mabuyane needs to show that he is committed to help solve the problems we, the people of the Eastern Cape, are facing. We do not need more empty promises. We need action, hope and inspiration. The Premier needs to spell out how he will deal with the financial crisis in Health and Education and address collapsing local government, along with the gangsterism that is impacting our municipalities. Our …


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