EC municipalities owe Eskom over R530 million
August 30th, 2018
The Democratic Alliance believes that money paid to municipalities for electricity must be ring fenced for Eskom, as well as the portion of equitable share that is used for electricity. If this does not happen, municipalities will only dig a deeper hole for themselves. In a response received from the Legislature, MEC responsible for Finance, Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr. Oscar Mabuyane, listed 25 municipalities that were in …
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Still zero accountability for disastrous road contract in Emalahleni
August 29th, 2018
The Department of Transport continues to ignore the disastrous state of a road in Chris Hani Local Municipality, emanating from questionable contracts awarded in 2014. The road to Nkolonga Village in Emalahleni Municipality (DR08569), was earmarked for re-gravelling to a ‘safe and acceptable standard’ in 2014 and the Department of Roads and Public Works appointed Big Eye Investments to do the work. The company was paid R7-million to re-gravel four …
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Road death tolls climb while department of transport does nothing
August 28th, 2018
The Department of Transport continues to sit idly by, paying lip service and sending condolences, while the carnage on Eastern Cape roads continues to claim lives. This past weekend, at least 22 people were killed in nine separate crashes on the province’s roads, with the death toll expected to rise as critically injured individuals fight for their lives in hospitals across the province. The accidents have been attributed to reckless …
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Clinics in Crisis
August 27th, 2018
People across the Eastern Cape, who are in desperate need of basic healthcare and medicine, are being ignored by the Department of Health, who have lost sight of their mandate of providing and ensuring accessible, comprehensive, integrated health care services. This was evident during a recent oversight visit to the St Patrick’s Gateway Clinic in Bizana recently. What I witnessed there was a stark reminder of just how badly the …
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The report by Health Ombudsman, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, on the Tower Psychiatric Hospital and Psychosocial Rehabilitation Centre must not detract from the crisis that is Eastern Cape Mental Health. The damning findings against the Eastern Cape Department of Health have received far too little comment in the final Ombudsman’s report, not least of which is the fact that they have a long history of failing to self-correct, and have failed …
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