I want to express my sincere condolences to all the members of this House who have lost loved ones during the last few months. We all either have family members or know people who have tragically lost their lives to the virus. Our hearts go out to all of you, who have suffered so much during this time. Matthew 7: 25 says, “The rain came down, the streams rose, and …
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Speech Notes: Vote 15 – Safety and Liaison Annual & Half Year Financial Oversight Reports
February 5th, 2021 If we are to build a capable state in the Eastern Cape that attracts investors and where jobs are created, we simply have to cut the crime rate and ensure that our criminal justice system becomes more efficient. Sadly, given the fact that the government has bungled the vaccine acquisition, police resources are continuously going to be tied up in chasing surfers off the beach rather than catching criminals when …
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We have now entered the period of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. A key issue that needs to be answered is, why is research not being done by the province into the relationship between liquor and violent crime of which gender-based violence is a component? When I asked the question to the MEC of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, whether the liquor board has undertaken any study …
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Speech notes: integrated community driven safety and its role in socio-economic development
November 19th, 2020
Power to the People – an integrated approach to community safety The global pandemic that we are currently undergoing has issued in a new approach to the delivery of services, not only in South Africa but also throughout the world. It is no longer government as usual but rather the COVID-19 ushering in, what one would call “the whole of society approach”. It requires government, businesses, communities, and individuals to …
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Speech notes: Draft resolution: Provincial government must undertake a thorough investigation into the outsourcing of services to the private sector
September 3rd, 2020
The following speech was delivered by Bobby Stevenson, MPL in support of a motion tabled in the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, on 23 July 2020. The global pandemic that we are currently undergoing has issued in a new approach to the delivery of services, not only in South Africa but also throughout the world. It is no longer government as usual but rather the COVID-19 ushering in, what one would …
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The Democratic Alliance welcomes the change in name of the department to the Department of Community Safety. This gives greater clarity as to what the role of the department is and will certainly resonate a lot better with the public and is aligned with other provinces such as the Western Cape. Any name change costs can be phased in over time. With reference to the budget, what is of great …
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At a time like this, our country and province face an unprecedented humanitarian crisis fueled by the health pandemic as well as the meltdown of our economy. The Eastern Cape was in a crisis prior to COVID-19. We are now dangerously close to going over the edge of the cliff while being pounded by the forces of a perfect storm. These two overarching issues are not only going to heavily …
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Speech notes: Reaction to SOPA 2020 by Bobby Stevenson, MPL
March 3rd, 2020 Honourable Speaker, Honourable Premier The central question we need to ask, that is alluded to in the State of the Province Address by the Premier, is why we do not have a capable state in the Eastern Cape? Why is it that we live in a province that is increasingly becoming more broken, and where service delivery is collapsing particularly at local government level? The answer lies in the fact …
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Speech Notes: Bobby Stevenson, MPL, Budget Vote of the Provincial Legislature 2019/20
August 14th, 2019 Firstly, on behalf of the Democratic Alliance, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Premier Oscar Mabuyane and his family following the loss of his younger brother, Mr Sonwabo Mabuyane, as well as to the family and friends of MPL Ncediwe Nobevu-Booi, and finally to the other staff members of this institution who have recently lost their loved ones. The budget of this provincial legislature takes place within …
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Your speech Hounorable Premier, differs sharply from that of your predecessors in that there are whispers of futuristic thinking in it. However, what it lacks is the necessary game changers to rebuild this province. Your reference to Chief Albert Luthuli and the Cross reminded me of the biblical injunction to build your house upon a rock and also of his words in 1963, in relation to my former colleague Helen …
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