LETTERS AND OPINIONS


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LETTERS BY KOBUS BOTHA


Tell us your plans, MEC

December 1st, 2016

THE closure of the Algoa Frail Care Centre and Lorraine Frail Care Centre is shrouded in a veil of secrecy by Nancy Sihlwayi, MEC for Social Development in the province. As a caring DA provincial government-in-waiting, we would most definitely have dealt with this issue in a much more caring, inclusive, open and transparent manner, unlike what is currently unfolding haphazardly. Let’s be clear here. The affected parties cannot be …


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Was a geotechnical report done on Chicken Farm land?

September 23rd, 2015

The article “Huge project will benefit luck few and Six years in yard as RDP house cracks” (Daily Dispatch, September 22) refers.  Housing protests have caused mass disruption, especially in Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay over the past few months as people express their dissatisfaction with poor workmanship. The fact of the matter is that in both these two areas — Chicken Farm and Duncan Village — poor communities …


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BCM is broken, unhealthy and needs change

May 25th, 2015

I refer to the Daily Dispatch article dated Saturday, May 23, 2015 with front page heading “Now it’s BCM’s turn”. The ANC s attempt to send in top brass to sort out the second troubled metro will achieve little. While there are many examples of councils, mayors and municipal managers and officials in the Western Cape that provide effective leadership and making progress with strengthening governance,  there are instances where …


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Housing process must be transparent

April 29th, 2015

I REFER to the article “MEC takes tough stance on corrupt officials” (Daily Dispatch, April 29). The door-to-door visits by ANC human settlements MEC Helen-Sauls August in Zimbane Valley in Mthatha are noteworthy. Clearly these are a desperate attempt by her to try and regain credibility for the ANC and her department in an area where 1 900 crumbling houses will have to be demolished and rebuilt again. But wasn’t …


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Crisis, not challenge!

February 18th, 2015

I refer to various articles and comments in the Daily Dispatch: South Africa is in crisis – our homes, businesses and schools are suffering because of load shedding. President Zuma has said it’s a challenge, not a crisis! He also didn’t say anything about the fact that the electricity crisis: load shedding has cost us all R300 billion. Since load shedding began in 2008, Eskom top brass has received R63 …


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MEC must take responsibility for RDP home fiasco

January 30th, 2015

THE MEC for Human Settlements, Helen Sauls-August blames delays in the verification and relocation processes for the losses and damage to RDP houses. The MEC must stop shifting the blame and take political responsibility for the beneficiary-list manipulation by ANC councillors and some officials that causes delays in the occupation [of houses] by rightful, deserving beneficiaries. A lack of transparency frustrates intended beneficiaries and leads to public protest, illegal occupation …


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Smelling an RDP rat

January 29th, 2015

Your front page story, Looters hit Mdantsane RDP homes (DD, January 26) refers: Thank you for this investigative report Mamela Gowa.  As the DA we believe that as soon as a house has been built, the rightful beneficiary should immediately take occupation to mitigate theft and vandalism. I will be writing to the ANC MEC for Human Settlements, Helen Sauls-August, demanding answers as to what caused the delay in occupation …


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WHY DA WILL RETAIN WC

January 14th, 2015

I refer to the Daily Dispatch article “ANC birthday targets WC” of January 9, page 4. Mlibo Qoboshiyane needs to catch a wake up! Visions are never delivered through words and cutting of cake, only through performance. More and more voters place their trust in the DA. That’s why the DA is the second largest and fastest growing political party in South Africa. Since 2009, we have governed the province …


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DA neem Middelburg waterprobleme na LUR

January 9th, 2015

Die DA neem kennis van die mense se goeiende frustrasies rakende verskeie water probleme in die area van Middelburg en Cradock asook die area se munisipale besturder, ds. Alfred Fatyela, se onoortuigende uitlatings in die media dat inwoners niks het om oor bekommerd te wees nie. Die munisipale bestuurder se uitlatings is tipies dié van ANC lede se negatiewe houding teenoor die belastingbetalers en die DA sal dit glad nie …


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Keep up quest to bring readers the truth

November 5th, 2014

CONGRATULATIONS to Bongani Fuzile and deputy political editor Mphumzi Zuzile for winning the print general news award for investigative journalism for your exposure of the Mandela funeral fund scandal (“Probing Dispatch journalists win award’’ (Daily Dispatch, November 3). As a public representative for the DA my colleagues and I are constantly verbally abused by the ANC in the Eastern Cape Legislature for defending the constitutional rights of the media. Recently …


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