STUDENT RAMPAGE
MEDIA RELEASE - MEDIA VERKLARING 26 Feb 2008 (Afrikaans hier onder)
TEACH PUPILS HOW TO MANAGE THEIR ANGER AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The ACDP is calling on parents and institutions of higher learning, such as the high school in Mamelodi and TUT, to educate their students on the proper civil methods of airing grievances.
We specifically refer to the recent unrest at TUT where chaos reigned because of increased tuition fees, and also to yesterday's unrest in Mamelodi where car tyres were burnt and damage to businesses by the pupils, amounted to R40 000. This also includes the fact that police were stoned when scholars wanted to report a rape.
Educators can start by teaching students how to put their grievances in writing in a proper manner. Even though we do sympathise with the frustrations of students, violence nor vandalism can ever be applauded. Further, students must learn that they will be held accountable for the damage they cause.
In conjunction with this, students can also be taught how to convey their grievances to the media without the added violence.
In the end, they must become leaders with the accompanied responsibility.
We invite students with grievances and the management of educational institutions to approach the ACDP to help with negotiations in the background.
The ACDP has the necessary skills and is determined not to use this for its own political gain.
AnneMarie Sparg
ACDP Councillor Tshwane Metro
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LEER STUDENTE HOE OM GRIEWE TE HANTEER EN AANSPREEKLIKHEID VIR DADE
Die ACDP doen ‘n beroep op ouers en hoër onderwysinstansies, soos die hoërskool in Mamelodi en die TUT om hul studente op te voed oor hoe om hul griewe op ‘n beskaafde manier te lug.
Ons verwys hier na die onlangse onluste by TUT waar amok gemaak is oor verhoogde klasgelde, en die oproer en bande brandery in Mamelodi, asook die onder die klippe steek van die polisie toe skoliere ‘n verkragting wou aanmeld. Besighede in die omgewing het skake gelei van ongeveer R40 000 tydens die geweld.
Onder die stappe waarmee opvoeders kan hand bysit is om studente te kleer om hul griewe behoorlik op skrif te stel. Hoewel ‘n mens soms simpatie het met studente se frustrasies, kan geen geweld goedgepraat word nie, en vandalisme net so min. Studente moet ook leer dat hulle aanspreeklik is vir die skade wat hulle aangerig het.
Studente kan ook geleer word oor hoe om hul boodskap doeltreffend en sonder geweld aan die media oor te dra.
Uiteindelik moet hulle leiers met verantwoordelikhede word.
Ons nooi gegriefde studente en die opvoedkundige instellings se bestuur ook uit om die ACDP te nader om agter die skerms te help bemiddel. Die ACDP het die kundigheid en onderneem om nie politieke munt hieruit te probeer slaan nie.
AnneMarie Sparg
ACDP Raadslid Tshwane Metro
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
STUDENT RAMPAGE
Monday, February 25, 2008
ACDP not surprised by murder statistics / ACDP nie verbaas oor Pretoria se moordsyfers
ACDP nie verbaas oor Pretoria se moordsyfers MEDIA VERKLARING 10 Feb 2008
ACDP not surprised by murder statistics
The shocking murder statistics for Pretoria revealed today in Rapport comes as no surprise to the ACDP, says Ms. AnneMarie Sparg, ACDP councillor and media spokesperson.
“We, as well as other opposition parties, had been fighting – yes, unfortunately there is no better word to describe this – in council for the right of communities to protect themselves through access control. The same murder data had been quoted in council on numerous occasions. I myself had been trapped in crossfire once. The opposition is, however, slammed by members of the ANC during debates on access control, in the City Planning Committee.
“In some way or another, the ANC under the leadership of the Mayor, regards the freedom of movement of vagabonds as a higher order right than the right to life of law abiding citizens. We trust that the statistics quoted in Rapport today will shock the Human Rights Commission into action to have a keen look at the ANC’s abuse of power at the expense of the constitutional right to safety.
“The ACDP, at different levels, has repeatedly called on government to declare a state of emergency against crime. Also former Minister Pik Botha has done so.”
AnneMarie Sparg
ACDP COUNCILLOR TSHWANE METRO
079 498 6971
ACDP nie verbaas oor Pretoria se moordsyfers
Die skokkende moordsyfers wat Rapport vir dele van Pretoria vandag onthul, kom as geen verrassing vir die ACDP nie, aldus me. AnneMarie Sparg, ACDP-raadslid en mediawoordvoerder.
“Ons en van die ander opposisiepartye baklei – daar is ongelukkig nie ‘n meer beskaafde woord hiervoor nie – in die raad vir die regte van gemeenskappe om hulself met beheerde toegang te beveilig. Dieselfde moordsyfers is al by herhaling in die raad geopper. Ek self is by geleentheid in spervuur vasgevang. Die opposisie word egter vanuit die ANC-geledere verguis, met heel onwaardige verbale aanvalle.
“Op die een of ander wyse plaas die ANC, onder die leierskap van die burgemeesteres, rondlopers se reg op bewegingsvryheid bo wetsgehoorsame burgers se reg op lewe, en die syfers vandag in Rapport behoort die Menseregtekommissie te beweeg om ernstig na die ANC se magsmisbruik ten koste van burgers se grondwetlike reg op veiligheid te kyk.
“Die ACDP het al by herhaling op verskillende vlakke versoek dat ‘n noodtoestand teen misdaad afgekondig word – ‘n versoek wat ook deur oud-minister Pik Botha gerig is.”
AnneMarie Sparg
ACDP RAADSLID TSHWANE METRO
079 498 6971
MUNICIPAL SERVICES ARREARS - SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR COUNCILLORS & MAYOR
MEDIA RELEASE 28 Jan 2008
MUNICIPAL SERVICES ARREARS - SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR COUNCILLORS & MAYOR RAMAKGOPA
During the 24 January Council meeting in the Tshwane Metro, it came to light that several ANC and DA councilors including the Mayor Dr Ramokgopa were owing the CTMM for their municipal services, according to the Auditor General’s report for the book year, ending 30 June 2007.
Some of the amounts outstanding were as high as R57 000 per individual.
How do the Metro Police justify barging in at the office of Cornwall Hill Country Estate with fire arms and tear-gas , to switch off water because of an arrears account that was in dispute at the time?
On Friday 16 November 2007, the Metro Police, accompanied by Dayalyn Pillay of the Tshwane Metro, barged into the offices of Cornwall Hill Country Estate, in an exercise to unconstitutionally disconnect Cornwall Hill Country Estate’s water supply.
At the time, Diep in die Berg, Cornwall Hill and other security comPlexes were in arrears and in a dispute with the Tshwane Metro Council over their municipal services bills.
Despite the fact they were in dispute the Tshwane Metro came in an entourage of Metro Police with sirens and blue lights flashing, to have their services terminated. Why such a DISPLAY of POWER?
The ACDP finds that dual standards are being applied by the Tshwane Metro when it comes to debt collection.
Leaders need to set an example - what is good for the goose is good for the gander!
How can the Tshwane Metro clamp down on the ordinary citizen and not on councilors who are in arrears.
The ACDP challenges the Tshwane Metro to treat all rate payers the same in applying the debt collection policy.
Annie Sparg
ACDP Councillor Tshwane Metro
ACDP response to Student unrest
ACDP response to Student unrest - MEDIA RELEASE 20 Feb 2008
Students protest at TUT campus - ACDP response to Student unrest
"The time has come for unrest and protests to cease from being part of student life on our campuses." So said Cllr. AnneMarie Sparg, from the ACDP, in response to the newest student protests on the TUT campus.
"Even though we have sympathy for the situation of these students, especially those that are poor, who suffer under the financial demands from our universities and other institutions of higher learning," she added, "anarchy and violence remain unacceptable as a means to manipulate authority into compliance.
"We call on these students to follow proper procedure to raise their complaints, if their memorandum does not have the desired effects at the cut off time tomorrow. According to reports, a door had already been broken, even before the protest became violent. This type of 'break through' certainly does not seem peaceful.
"It is time for the leaders of this protest to show that they truly are leaders, and to bring calm and order among the protesters!"
AnneMarie Sparg
ACDP Councillor Tshwane Metro
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Studente betoging by TUT kampus - ACDP reageer
"Dit is nou hoog tyd dat onluste en onrus nie meer deel van die studentelewe sal wees nie," sê ACDP raadslid me. AnneMarie Sparg in reaksie op die jongste studenteprotes op die TUT-kampus.
"Al het ons dikwels simpatie met veral die arm studente wat noustrop trek onder die las van geldelike verpligtinge by universiteite en ander hoër onderwysinrgtings, bly wanordelikheid en geweld nie 'n aanvaarbare wyse van optrede nie.
"Ons versoek die studente dus om hul klagtes deur die regte kanale te voer as hul memorandum môre, met die spertyd, nie die gewenste reaksie oplewer nie. Daar is na berig reeds 'n deur gebreek nog voordat die protes nog gewelddadig geword het. Hierdie soort 'deurbraak' klink nie vir ons baie vreed saam nie.
"Dit is tyd dat die leiers van die protes bewys dat hulle wel leiers is, en vrede en kalmte bring tussen die protesteerders!"
AnneMarie Sparg
ACDP Raadslid Tshwane Metro
ACDP CONCERNED OVER DISRUPTION TO POLICE SERVICE BY SIT-IN
ACDP CONCERNED OVER DISRUPTION TO POLICE SERVICE BY SIT-IN
MEDIA RELEASE 7 February 2008
ACDP CONCERNED OVER DISRUPTION TO POLICE SERVICE BY SIT-IN
ACDP Councillor for Tshwane Metro, Ms Anne Marie Sparg says the ACDP is concerned at a recent sit-in staged at the Lyttleton Police station.
"The ACDP is alarmed to hear of the recent sit-in staged by members of POPCRU, the police and prisons civil rights union.
The ACDP is concerned about effective policing during such actions, and ongoing morale among staff as allegations were made casting aspersions upon the dignity of the commander and senior staff.
The ACDP has been made aware that there seems to be a situation at the Lyttleton Police station which could be creating a problem with much needed policing in the community.
According to Mr Kai Weinzheimer, a business man and director of Abvikeli Security, a company who’s services are being used by many residential complexes and industrial sites, there appears to be an issue with discipline at the station.
It is understood that some of the members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) are unhappy with the level of discipline under Director Wiese.
It appears Superintendent Palahd and other officers at the station object to Director Wiese’s style which has resulted in his his discipline being objected to on account of it.
The ACDP understands Director Wiese has been doing a sterling job and the Centurion community has expressed gratitude for the assistance and dedicated service they have been receiving from the SAPS under the leadership of Director Wiese.
Police officers who do not tow the line and fail the community need to be accountable. In fact, in terms of the constitution, members of the services acting in a disruptive manner and in so doing endangering the lives of the people they should be serving could be regarded as having committed mutiny.
The question is - how did the station manage to deal with people needing the services of the SAPS during the disruptive actions of POPCRU?
For further information:
Anne Marie Sparg
ACDP Councillor Tshwane Metro
SANDF time to assist in fighting crime in Pretoria - ACDP
SANDF time to assist in fighting crime - ACDP MEDIA RELEASE 1 FEB 2008
MEDIA RELEASE / MEDIA VERKLARING
SANDF time to assist in fighting crime - ACDP
“It is totally unacceptable that criminals are granted so much space from where they can launch their raids on Monument Park residents and even the police without additional assistance to eradicate the gangsters’ paradise.
“It is ridiculous that criminals, of whom many are illegal immigrants, could have erected such no go areas where they can tend to their matters undisturbed, but at the expense of law abiding citizens,” says Ms. AnneMarie Sparg, ACDP Tshwane councillor.
She reacted to complaints, including written complaints, to the reign of terror orchestrated from the squatter settlement in the former Rosana and Klawer quarries in Monument Park.
“The problems have been handled by the relevant bodies such as the ward committee, SAPS and the Police Forum, but to no avail.
On the behalf of the community, the ACDP calls on the Metro police and SANDF to urgently launch a “joint operation” with the SAPS to CLEAN this area as soon as possible. This task is of such a magnitude that it cannot be tasked by one of the above law enforcing units on its own.
It is about the time that the SANDF assist the SAPS and residents in this raging war.
“With safe havens for criminals such as this it is no wonder that diplomats are attacked and that the President’s residence needed to be equipped with a security wall of millions of rands.”
AnneMarie Sparg
ACDP Councillor Tshwane Metro
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Tyd dat weermag help met dié misdaad - ACDP
“Dit is onaanvaarbaar dat misdadigers ruimte gegun word vanwaar hulle hul strooptogte op Monumentpark en selfs die polisie kan loods.
“Dit is verregaande dat misdadigers, waaronder talle onwettige immigrante, nou sulke “no go”-areas kan skep waar hulle ongestoord, en ten koste van wetsgehoorsames, hul lewens kan lei,” sê me. Annemarie Sparg, raadslid van die ACDP in die Tshwane-raad.
Sy het gereageer op klagtes, waaronder skriftelike klagtes, oor die terreur waaraan inwoners van Monumentpark en omgewing blootgestel word vanuit die plakkerskamp in die voormalige Rosama en Klawer-gruisgrooef.
“Die probleem is al deur al die toepaslike liggame soos die wykskomitee, polisiëringsforum en SAPD opgeneem, maar steeds word die wetsgehoorsames onuithoudbaar geterroriseer.
Die ACDP doen 'n beroep op die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag om 'n gesamentlike operasie met die SAPD en Metropolisie te loods om die area skoon te maak van misdadigers.
Die taak is van so 'n aard dat dit nie net deur die bogenoemde liggame alleen gehanteer kan word nie.
Dit is hoog tyd dat die weermag ingryp en help om die probleem op te los aangesien die SAPD en die inwoners nou met ‘n duidelike oormag te make het.
“Met hierdie tipe situasie is dit geen wonder dat diplomate gereeld aangeval, en die president ‘n veiligheidsmuur van miljoene rande moet oprig nie.”
AnneMarie Sparg
ACDP Raadslid Tshwane Metro
Friday, February 22, 2008
KZN watchdog to remain
We live in a country with corruption at every level of society. We have seen such corruption at almost every level of government.
The situation has now arisen in Kwazulu-Natal (KZN), where the ruling party wants to get rid of the current chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, ACDP provincial leader, Jo-Ann Downs.
As the Tshwane region of the ACDP, we support Jo-Ann Downs wholeheartedly in her quest to drive out corruption in Kwazulu-Natal, or anywhere else she may find corruption.
Of course, the ANC (ruling party in Kwazulu-Natal) claims that Jo-Ann Downs "has turned the agriculture department saga into her personal project, feeding it to the media to enhance her political career."
However, a day after the above claims were reported on, the "KwaZulu-Natal agriculture and environmental affairs department limped to its latest crisis on Thursday [2008-02-21] when its head, Modidima Mannya, was suspended by premier S'bu Ndebele."
Further, some ANC sources have said that they were unhappy of the way Downs ran the committee and that she was "too critical" of the ANC.
My contention is that this is the real reason they want to sack her from the chairmanship. The ANC has proven to this nation and its people that they do not respond well when confronted with criticism and/or investigations of alleged corruption of its top officials. We have seen that all too clearly in the NPA-Pikoli-Scorpions saga. It seems to me that they would rather get rid of whistle blowers than corruption.
To get rid of Jo-Ann Downs will simply exarcerbate the problems in KZN. What use would it be to put a 'yes'-man in charge of the committee? 'Yes'-men get nothing done! In fact, they are the ones that eventually stab you in the back. That is what happened to Julius Caesar when Marcus Junius Brutus assassinated him. Brutus used to be one of Julius Caesar's 'yes'-men who later turned against Caesar.
'Yes'-men do not have the courage to be real leaders and cannot think for themselves. Is this what the ANC wants? I hope not.
If the ANC ruling authority in KZN is really serious about ridding the province of corruption, they will need to let Jo-Ann Downs do her job.
The ACDP will always fight corruption wherever it is found. Apart from such corruption being so obviously morally wrong, it is also socially wrong. It harms the nation at a large scale. When the government allows corruption to continue within its own walls, it grants the nation the right to do the same. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. This will prove to be disastrous for any nation, when a culture of corruption becomes the overarching culture.
The lowest form of human life is when a people appointed leader steals from the people, or works corruptly with the people's money. A democratic government must always remember, that it is not the government per se. It is only the government insomuch as the people have given them governmental representation for the people. As the famed 16th president of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, said in his famous Gettysburg Address, the government is "of the people, by the people, for the people." The government has no right to allow anyone to mismanage or steal the people's money.
When a leader abuses the trust of the people, he no longer deserves to be a leader of the people, and should be removed from leadership. To lead a nation is not just an arbitrary job or aspiration! It is a sacred duty!
So, my call to the leaders of this nation is to mean it when they speak against corruption, and that they will ensure that the best people are fighting against it.
Update @ 15:15:
The ANC has axed Jo-Ann Downs and instead gave the chairmanship to National Democratic Convention’s (Nadeco’s) Hawu Mbatha. As I have felt all along, so some opposition members of the legislature feel that this move by the ANC is to "cover up corruption in agriculture."
Thursday, February 21, 2008
MEDIA RELEASE - No Constitutional Requirement for Scorpions' Disbandment
MR STEVE SWART, MP,
ACDP - AFRICAN CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY 14th February 2008
ACDP TABLES PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION DEMANDING ANSWERS ON SCORPIONS * SAYS NO CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR DISBANDMENT.
ACDP looks forward to Scorpions Annual Report in Parliament.
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ACDP, MP and Spokesperson on Justice and Constitutional matters, Steve Swart, this morning formally tabled a Parliamentary question to be answered by the Minister of Safety and Security on Wednesday 27th February 2008, requesting the constitutional basis that the Minister relies upon for justifying the decision to disband the Scorpions.
“The Minister has argued that the reason why Cabinet decided to disband the Scorpions and incorporate it into the SAPS was that the Constitution required that there must be “a single police force”. This argument was rejected by the Constitutional Court in 2002 as well as the Khampepe Commission (relying on that Constitutional Court judgment), the report of which was accepted by Cabinet in June 2006.
It is patently clear that the decision to disband the Scorpions is not based on any constitutional requirement, but rather on a political decision to rid South Africa of a very effective crime-fighting unit that has embarrassed the ruling party by investigating and convicting high profile leaders.
The Minister’s most recent explanation that the merging of the Scorpions into a new unit in the SAPS in order to “change for the better” the fight against organized crime, is outrageous given that their present success rate is over 80%. Furthermore, how would the investigation into National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi have been conducted had it not been that the Scorpions were located outside the police service? This is particularly so, following the heavy-handed arrest and spurious charges brought by the SAPS against Scorpions Gauteng boss, Adv. Gerrie Nel, in an obvious attempt to derail the Selebi investigation.
The Minister must explain whether he persists with the “single police force” constitutional argument and if not, what is the basis for this reckless decision.
The ACDP is determined to hold the Executive to account for this decision, notwithstanding that the majority party has effectively ignored Parliament by announcing the disbanding of the Scorpions as a fait accompli.
The ACDP, together with other parties, will be exercising its oversight function next week when the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) presents its annual report on Wednesday 20th February, in the Justice Portfolio Committee. The ACDP, when it raised the matter in the Justice Portfolio Committee yesterday, was given the assurance that the Scorpions would be present, albeit reporting under the NPA.
All indications are that the glowing success of the combination of prosecutor and investigator, which is the Scorpions, will be shown to have continued in the past financial year and this is sure to further highlight the criminal foolishness of the decision.”
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
ACDP responds to President's State of the Nation Address
ACDP SPEECH
BY REV KENNETH MESHOE, MP;
PRESIDENT, AFRICAN CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY 13th February 2008
(Greeted with much applause in the House)
REPLY TO THE PRESIDENT’S STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS
Speech by ACDP President, Rev. Kenneth Meshoe MP
13 February 2008
Madam Speaker, Honourable President, deputy President and Honourable Members,
The announcement made yesterday by the Minister of Safety and Security that the Scorpions will be dismantled and merged with the police organized crime unit must be rejected with the contempt it deserves. It is scandalous, irresponsible and highly questionable to target a very successful crime busting unit when South Africa’s crime levels are amongst the highest in the world.
The Minister also said that the ANC was not being reckless in disbanding the Scorpions. The truth is, the ANC is reckless and I believe this decision is a serious blunder that will come back to haunt them in the near future.
I want to remind members of this house that the Scorpions were constituted following a careful study of policing systems in other countries. This was made clear by the then Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee for Justice and Constitutional Development, honourable Fatima Cochan-Kota, during a debate in the National Assembly on the 11th November 1999.
She pointed out that her Committee had undertaken a visit to the United States and Canada to study, among other things, their crime-fighting structures and institutions. She continued to mention the fact that the prosecution-driven investigation was not only successful in the U.S. and Canada, but also in Germany and Britain. In our case, the Scorpions have had between 80% and 90% success in all their prosecutions.
The ACDP wants to know why anybody in their right mind would want to disband such a successful unit, except of course, to serve their questionable motives.
May I also remind this house that the Scorpions was instituted because of the failure of the police to deal with organized crime.
When President Mbeki announced the formation of the Scorpions in June 1999 he said it was a signal of government’s commitment to deal with priority crimes. Today, the ANC has discarded that committee to the delight of leaders of organised crime.
When the then New National party leader raised what he described as serious questions about the establishment of the Scorpions, the then Justice Minister, Penuell Maduna, said that, “the criminal element should be the only ones who worry about the Scorpions.” The honourable President may or may not agree with members of the public who suspect that it is the ‘criminal element’ within the ANC who worry about the successes of the Scorpions that have no regard for political connections!
The Constitutional Law Professor George Devenish said that “the proposed disbanding of the Scorpions must be seen for what it is, an unscrupulous attempt to centralize naked power in the ANC politicians and their cadres deployed in the management echelons of the police.”
Our nation is ravaged by crime, and it is scandalous that the decision to disband the highly effective and successful Scorpions will be forced through parliament, even though the majority of South Africa, many of whom are victims of serious, violent crime, are opposed to it.
Mr President, do you agree with those members of the public, that say that the real motive for disbanding the Scorpions is to protect powerful ANC politicians from investigation? Is it perhaps because the ANC wants to remove the Scorpion investigators and prosecutors from the Jackie Selebi case which is scheduled to be heard in August? Many surmise that without those competent Scorpions prosecutors, the suspended National Commissioner will be acquitted, and this will pave the way for him to be the head of the newly organized unit of the South African Police Service that has many corrupt elements within it.
Madam Speaker, on Monday, the acting head of the National Prosecuting Authority, Adv. Mpshe is reported to have filed an affidavit in which he said, under oath, that not only information, but also evidence of suspended Commissioner Selebi’s wrong doing was presented to President Mbeki and the Justice Minister Bridgette Mabandla. He also said the President himself was kept fully informed of both the fact of the investigation against Mr Selebi and the nature of the allegations against him. He added that besides there being constant communication between advocate Pikoli, President Mbeki and Justice Minister Mabandla, Advocate Pikoli also informed other officials, including Safety and Safety Minister Nqakula and Defence Minister Lekota of the corruption claims against Mr Selebi.
This stands in stark contrast to the claims made by the State President last month that he only became aware of the charges a few days earlier. To compound matters, President Mbeki then told the media, "I have said this before, many times, that if there was anybody with information that shows Selebi has done wrong things, I would act on it. Nobody did, nobody came to me.”
Mr President, the ACDP believes that in the light of the very serious revelations contained in Adv Mpshe’s affidavit, the State President owes the public an explanation, and must tell the truth as to exactly when the President became aware of the serious allegations against Selebi and why he failed to then immediately suspend Selebi. The public is also owed an explanation of how a draft copy of the top-secret letter dated 7th May 2007, from Adv. Pikoli to President Mbeki about Commissioner Selebi, ended up in Selebi’s hands.
The ACDP also therefore renews its call for the disbandment of the Ginwala Commission and the re-instatement of Adv Pikoli, particularly because government was at all times fully informed of the case against Mr Selebi by Adv Pikoli himself.
These are very grave allegations that go to the heart of the President’s integrity. The State President must admit or deny that the main reason for suspending Adv. Pikoli was not because of a breakdown in relationship, but a deliberate attempt to cover-up for Mr Selebi.
Another major weaknesses of this government is in the area of maintenance. Government has spent money in putting up new buildings and roads without a proper maintenance plan and as a result, the existing road infrastructure is deteriorating very fast.
While roads in Cape Town City centre are not in a bad condition, one cannot say the same about other cities including Pretoria, our administrative capital. Most of our roads are badly damaged and have many pot holes that are ignored by relevant councils. One at times wonders what the city managers and local councillors are paid to do?
When you spoke about building the infrastructure, Mr President, did you also have road infrastructure in mind? If yes, why is the maintenance and repairs of our roads not an Apex priority?
In terms of the power crisis, the ACDP believes that some of the reasons we have blackouts is because Eskom has neglected maintenance and failed to plan for emergencies.
It is also highly suspicious that the crisis occurred so soon after the coming-on-stream in Mozambique of the Mozal Smelter, which preceded the significant growth in South African power consumption. Whilst one appreciates that we must honour our contractual obligations with other countries, would it not have been prudent to ensure that there was sufficient energy for our own Gold and Platinum mines before contracting external customers.
Is it that the ‘powers that be’ fail to value maintenance of equipment and regard money spent on it to be unnecessary, hence the retrenchments that followed. That ill-informed decision has cost the country billions of rand today.
This is why the ACDP advises government to make maintenance of infrastructure, equipment and buildings a priority. Lack of maintenance is very expensive in the long term, as we have seen with the power crisis and a possible looming water crisis.
It was reported in the Sunday Times that, and I quote, “Britain is likely to strip South Africa of its visa-free status this year because of rampant corruption in the department of Home Affairs. South Africans would have to fork out £63 (nearly R1,000) and provide fingerprints, facial biometrics and travel documents to get visas.”
We are going to lose this privilege of a visa-free status and be inconvenienced because corrupt Home Affairs officials have been selling genuine passports to people, smugglers, foreign asylum seekers and allegedly suspected terrorists wanting to enter Britain. Because of this criminal activity, British immigration experts say that the South African passport is, and I quote, “no longer worth the paper it’s written on.” This, Mr President is a shame.
Has government lost its fight against corruption in the Home Affairs department, just as it lost the fight against violent crime in this country?”
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
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For more information please contact:
Rev Kenneth Meshoe, MP and President of the ACDP: 082 962 5884
Released by Ms. Libby Norton, Parliamentary Media Attaché, ACDP
Tel 021 40 333 07 or 07 25 70 6361
