Mpumalanga is in desperate need of DA governance

Mpumalanga is in desperate need of DA governance

By BRIAN KAJENGO

 DA Mpumalanga leader Anthony Benadie, at the launch of the DA's Mpumalanga Election Campaign in Mbombela on Saturday

 DA leader Anthony Bernadie lashed on ANC provincial Chairperson, who is also the Premier of the province David Mabuza’s leadership.

Bernadie told DA supporters’ that this year elections election will be a watershed election for the DA. It is an election that will change the political landscape of South Africa forever.

“This is the year of DA’s transformation. change. The DA is ready to bring that change. We (in the DA) stand in solidarity with the millions of people in this province who have had enough of corruption, unemployment and poor service delivery. We stand together for change, change that will bring jobs and a betterment of life for all.

“In the words of our leader Helen Zille, the DA is “…a party of government”, and today, I am proud to present you with a new vision for Mpumalanga. A vision that says the DA in Mpumalanga is ready to govern our province, we do not contest elections to lose, but we contest to present the people of our province with a clear alternative to the ANC. We contest this election to win, and win we can!

“And let me tell you this: Today, the ANC is as big as it will ever be. Tomorrow the ANC will be smaller than it is today. Today, the DA is as small as it will ever be, tomorrow, the DA will be bigger than today. The ANC can only shrink, the DA can only grow.” Anthony Bernadie emphasized.  

Anthony Bernadie told the soppoters that DA realises the dreams and vision of former president Nelson Mandela, of a united South Africa, where every person enjoys the free and equal opportunity to prosper, to be safe, to be educated, to be healthy, and most of all – to be free from the shackles of poverty.

“I think back to those two days in April 1994, when millions of South Africans were patiently waiting in line for hours to cast their vote. I recall witnessing my parents cast their first vote in democratic South Africa, filled with a sense of excitement and hope. The nation rejoiced in the hope that we could begin building a united South Africa, a South Africa where we will be free from persecution and oppression, one which is free from racial, ethnic, and other discrimination, a nation with its destiny in its hands – and one where every person had a chance at a better life,” Said Anthony Bernadie.

Bernadie reminded people when South Africa under the guiding hand of former president Mandela, the country stood tall and proud as the miracle nation, the rainbow nation – and the envy of every country in the world.

 “We have the potential of the massive coal and mineral reserves of the Highveld, the vast agricultural resources of the Midveld and the Lowveld, and immense tourism potential of various natural, cultural and historical sites across our province, and the people of this province was filled with that same hope, that it would only be a matter of time before the opportunities brought by a free South Africa, would come to Mpumalanga as well.” Anthony Bernadie said. 

Bernadie says gradually houses built, running water came to many areas for the first time, and townships and rural areas received electricity. Some new schools built, access to primary health care opened to all, and more and more people found opportunities they never thought possible. 

“And then, Madiba’s dreams and magic began to fade. Slowly but surely we saw the ANC abandon the vision and values  of Madiba, as ANC leader after ANC leader became embroiled in their gluttonous obsession of self-enrichment and access to state resources.

 “Corruption is an entrenched order of the day and Premier DD Mabuza is nothing more than a chip off the corruption block built by Jacob Zuma’s ANC. DD Mabuza and his corrupt administration symbolises what the ANC has become under Jacob Zuma’s leadership.   Our provincial government has lost almost their entire ability to deliver services.” Anthony Bernardie said.

DA leader Anthony Bernadie says under the leadership of Premier DD Mabuza:

 Corruption has escalated, and job opportunities have decreased. Unemployment today is higher than it was when he took office in 2009,

  Every single tender issued by the Mpumalanga government is manipulated to ensure that the most well connected “ANC Comrade” and Mabuza loyalist is rewarded,

   Housing delivery has reduced dramatically. Since 2009, the ANC in Mpumalanga has only managed to build 23 000 new houses, that is a mere 4600 per year, despite millions of rand being allocated for housing development.

  In fact, under DD Mabuza, the ANC government has built less houses in Mpumalanga than any of his predecessors in democratic South Africa.

     Our province’s clinics and hospitals are in crisis. Many of our provincial hospitals are a health risk and many have become institutions of death rather than healing.

 Every single one of the 18 municipalities in Mpumalanga has lost the ability to deliver quality and decent services to residents. As we speak, most municipalities are bankrupt and unable to provide reliable clean drinking water.

 Service delivery protests are on the increase and becoming more and more violent.So too, the ANC has failed to grow a provincial economy, that create decent and sustainable jobs. Life in Mpumalanga is getting tougher, with millions of our citizens trapped in unending poverty, with little prospect of a better life.

“Every day is a battle for survival in Mpumalanga, life is tough and opportunities are few. But, let me tell you this: As difficult as life has become in Mpumalanga, all is not lost.” Bernadie said

 Bernadie told Bvunzamutupo SADC Voice that DA has a plan: A plan to stop corruption, a plan to create jobs, and a plan to restore the dignity of the all people in the province, because, the DA loves South Africa! The DA loves Mpumalanga and will never give up until every citizen in our province has reaped the benefits of freedom and a better life all.

Anthony Bernadie as the DA’s Premier candidate for Mpumalanga he promises to delivery services based on the interests of the citizens.   

“This tour will visit every single community in Mpumalanga where we will present to the people of our province our proposal on bringing about change that creates jobs. We will engage our citizens and listen to the inputs of every person we meet. We will interact on how to make Mpumalanga a better province and we will strive to incorporate the inputs, the dreams, the aspirations of our people into our final provincial manifesto, so that our manifesto is not just a DA plan, but a product of the collective wisdom and desire of our province’s people.” He said.

He say our manifesto must be an action plan that addresses the critical shortcomings in the provincial government and sets out our collective action to bring change to Mpumalanga and it will become our BLUE-print to make life in Mpumalanga better.

“Mpumalanga’s potential for a better life is unlimited – from our vast mineral resource reserves, the provinces under-tapped agricultural opportunities and tourism industry, we can experience rapid economic growth that creates real jobs.” Bernadie said.

Bernadie told Bvunzamutupo SADC Voice that DA government will take decisive steps to pass provincial legislation outlawing government employees or their immediate families from doing business with government.

He says in order to deliver top quality service, we will develop a focused recruitment programme for public officials, to ensure that we are able to attract, appoint and retain the most competent and skilled professionals to deliver services throughout our provincial government.

“DA will make it significantly easier to do business and drive development in Mpumalanga. We will reduce the complexity of starting a business by implementing the DA’s “…from red tape to red carpet” project, championed by our DA government in the Western Cape.” Bernadie said. 

 He indicated that DA will attract investment by establishing job zones in all the major centres of the province.

“DA government will prioritise the implementation of the Moloto Development Corridor, and will do everything within our power to see the implementation of the Moloto rail corridor.” 

“The quality of education remains the foundation of economic growth. Without proper skills and qualifications, Mpumalanga’s youth will remain at a disadvantage, and the DA has the answer to improved education,” said Bernadie.

Anthony promised to improve the quality and number of teachers in rural areas, the DA will introduce a scarce skills allowance to teachers with special skills working in Mpumalanga’s rural areas.

 “We will drive a focussed emerging farmer support programme aimed at escalating emerging farmers from being subsistence farmers, to the commercial farming sector.” Bernadie said.  

The DA leader told Bvunzamutupo SADC Voice that his government prioritise the establishment of sound working relations between government and organised agricultural associations, aimed at bringing about partnerships to improve agriculture investment, reduce instability and uncertainty in the sector, to create jobs, to ensure rural safety, and to assist our farmers where they need it most.

“In order to fast-track the restoration of our people’s dignity, a DA government will prioritise housing delivery. DA government is committed to building a world class public health care system in Mpumalanga,” said Bernadie.   

 Bernadie says DA will not, under any circumstances, take away social grants from the people who need it.

“The DA recognises the critical role played by non-governmental and non-profit organisations, and will establish a specialised directorate to deal solely with these organisations, improve cooperation, as well as to simplify and speed up grants application and payment processes.” Bernadie said.

DA leader, Anthony Bernadie promises his supporters that DA will make Mpumalanga number 1 tourist destination in South Africa.  

“The DA will market Mpumalanga locally, nationally and internationally for the magnificent place that it is, to increase tourism to Mpumalanga. We will transform the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency into the Friend of tourism. We will depoliticise the agency and ensure that their top priority should be to ensure a flourishing tourism economy through sound working relations with private sector tour operators.” Bernadie said.  

The DA will save Pilgrims Rest and position it as a heritage asset and top tourist destination.

We will initiate immediate steps to:

   Bernadie emphasizes that DA will    increase policing along the borders of Swaziland, Mozambique and the Kruger National Park to bolster the SANDF units already in place; and we will commit ourselves to strengthening the SAPS visibility in communities through increase resources.