Cape Town - Opposition parties in the provincial legislature are demanding that Tuesday’s State of the Province address (Sopa) by the premier gets to grips with the pressing issues of crime, transport, education and housing in the Western Cape.
Official opposition leader Cameron Dugmore (ANC), ahead of tomorrow’s official opening ceremony of the Western Cape legislature, including the Sopa, in the Velddrif Town Hall in the West Coast District, said there was a “gangsterism pandemic.”
“The much-vaunted safety plan is not working and the so-called boots on the ground strategy is not enough to strike fear into gangsters.”
He said the ANC was disturbed by the premier’s inability to lead the process of land redistribution in the province, which he said was the first part of the country to suffer land dispossession.
“We have one of the most skewed land patterns in South Africa, with whites still wallowing in apartheid racist land patterns decades after the first democratic election.”
EFF provincial chairperson Melikhaya Xego said the province was still failing to provide housing to the people of Greater Kosovo and Dunoon informal settlements despite promising to do so in 2020.
“The Western Cape housing database shows that the province is failing to fulfil the housing targets they set for themselves in responding to the provision of housing.”
Freedom Front MPL Peter Marais said: “Winde will be expected to give clarity on the issue of Minister Albert Fritz’s resignation, both as minister and as the DA’s leader in the Cape.
“I also expect to hear him speak on the issues concerning homeless people, land invasions, school admissions and the drop in the matric pass rate compared to other provinces.”
ACDP provincial leader Ferlon Christians said that after listening to the president’s State of the Nation address last week, he wants to see what the premier is going to do to cut red tape when it comes to small business in the province.
Newly sworn in Good MPL Shaun August said gender-based violence and femicide has for far too long been left unchecked.
“Considering our high crime-rates in this province, we should do more to assist our women and children in this life-threatening reality.”
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za