Cape Town - Should the feared Day Zero hit the city, the Western Cape legislature plans to move its operations to Worcester and send non-essential staff home.
DA chief whip Mark Wiley said plans were already in place and scoping had been done of the Breede River Valley municipality in Worcester for a possible relocation of the legislature.
He was briefing journalists on the DA’s quarterly performance in the legislature.
“One of the biggest challenges was the drought. It has undoubtedly changed many operations in the province and of course had a massive impact on every resident. We have also mapped out a plan which works in phases. It will be a response to avert the worst-case scenario.
“Should we, however, get to that point, we will send non-essential staff home and the plan is to move our operations to Worcester. These plans have been in the working and parties are aware of it,” he said.
Wiley also said the legislature building in Wale Street had been fitted with water-saving devices.
“One of the biggest concerns we had was the potential for the water crisis to curtail our programme, incapacitating us from fulfilling our first quarter duties. For this reason, quite a number of committee meetings were rescheduled and will take place in the second quarter. There are numerous adjustments to operation where we have implemented various water saving mechanisms at provincial parliament to mitigate the water shortage under the water scarcity business continuity plan,” he said.
Wiley said he was pleased to have passed the 2018/19 provincial budget of R63.675 billion.
“With the largest chunk of the DA-led Western Cape government’s budget allocated to health, education, transport and public works, social development, and human settlements, it is clear that funding for essential services which cater for our most vulnerable, are accounted for,” he said.
He also said the province would have to absorb another round of austerity measures probably in to the tune of of R1.5bn.
“Specifically, for this financial year, the impact will be a cut of R147 million off the provincial equitable share (PES), and an additional R183million cut in the conditional grant.”
Wiley said ANC MPL Cameron Dugmore would be charged by the conduct committee for sending texts that allegedly incited violence in Hermanus last month.
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