Cape Town - While the DA in the Western Cape lauded Premier Alan Winde’s State of the Province Address, opposition parties said it failed to provide a clear pathway on how to improve the lives of the poor and working class.
Responding during the debate on Tuesday, EFF provincial chairperson Unathi Ntame said Winde had no grasp of the issues affecting residents.
“We must remind the residents of the province that it was under Winde’s premiership that we have seen money that was meant to deliver better houses for the poor being returned to the Treasury because of the inability of the DA-led government to deliver services to the poor. This underspending is indicative of the DA’s inability to preside over the resources of the province,” Ntame said.
The ANC’s Cameron Dugmore said the premier’s address was thin on what his government had done to address the challenges of widening inequality, persistent poverty, rampant unemployment for the black majority, and escalating violent crime.
“Unqualified audits mean little when our communities continue to suffer without essential services.
“This enduring legacy demands decisive action from the people of the Western Cape to usher in change through the ballot box.
“While the DA clamours for more powers to be vested in the province, it has proven incapable of delivering on its own provincial competencies.
“Education, health, human settlements, and community safety have all failed under their watch,” said Dugmore.
Premier Alan Winde delivered his #WCSOPA2024 in Paarl last night. If you missed it, you can view the footage here: https://t.co/3JxVtDU2eu You can download a copy of his address here: https://t.co/FNQ9XOxC2N @WesternCapeGov pic.twitter.com/zUQaVBG9r8
— WesternCapeProvParl (@WCProvParl) February 20, 2024
He said the DA wanted devolution of powers when they were unable to deliver on their constitutional mandate of building houses.
DA MPL Christopher Fry said the party had made strides in job creation and poverty alleviation during Winde’s tenure.
“(On Monday) we heard that this government has created 240 000 jobs in this term, or approximately 64% of all jobs created in the country in the same period.
“The opposition often claims to fight for equality. But where they govern, they fail to help people. They fail to create jobs. They fail to do what is right,” said Fry.
"Soon after Winde took office, our country was beset by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This was a hurdle that no one could have predicted, and it was a massive obstacle for what was then a young and untested government.
“But this government’s response was to build the largest field hospital on the African continent in record time.
“They ensured that medicine could be delivered directly to the homes of those for whom it was unsafe to go out - an innovation that proved to be a lifesaver for many.”
zolani.sinxo@inl.co.za