Democratic Alliance Latest News

Arts & Culture's R42-million splurge on parties, concerts and conferences

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:36:19 +0200

A parliamentary reply from the Department of Arts & Culture has revealed that since January 2006, R42-million has been spent on an assortment of parties, concerts and conferences. Some of these events may have some legitimate value to them; many, however, are clearly simply excuses to blow enormous sums of public funds on gala dinners, music concerts and freebies.

Equality Court verdict: Malema has continued his sexist rampage

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:39:45 +0200

The DA Youth welcomes the Johannesburg Equality Court's finding that ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema is guilty of hate speech and harassment. Malema must now apologise unconditionally if he has any respect for the institutions of our constitutional democracy.

Proposal to nationalise South Africa's land must be withdrawn immediately

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:37:54 +0200

A spokesperson for the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, Elton Greeves was quoted in this morning's Die Burger as saying that the proposed plan to place the control of all productive farmland in the hands of the state was necessitated by the need to ensure land tenure for farm workers. This argument does not stand up to scrutiny. The fact is that two laws already exist to ensure that security of tenure of farm workers, namely the Extension of Security of Tenure Act (ESTA) and the Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Act.

Exhortation to "Kill the boer, kill the farmer" yields another life

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:36:11 +0200

Despite this weekend's decision by the ANC's leadership (NEC) to clamp down on internal, individual leadership spats, it has again skirted the opportunity to castigate Julius Malema's "call to arms" against white farmers.

Eskom keeps details of short-term coal contracts confidential

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:32:16 +0200

In response to a parliamentary question posed by the Democratic Alliance (DA), Eskom has refused to divulge information on its short to medium term contracts. The response to the parliamentary question states that: "All coal requirements in excess of those supplied by the long-term agreements are procured through short to medium term contracts. The detail in this regard is confidential and its disclosure could be prejudicial to Eskom's commercial negotiations in support of security of supply."

DA welcomes re-instatement of leading astronomer Prof Phil Charles

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:49:06 +0200

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the National Research Foundation's (NRF) acceptance of the finding of its disciplinary hearing, which clears Professor Phil Charles of all the charges it made against him, and his subsequent re-instatement as director of the South African Astronomical Observatory.

Malema and ANCYL are behaving like a street mob

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:46:53 +0200

It is perfectly clear, from his actions and the actions of those in the ANC Youth League, that Julius Malema has something to hide; and in a bid to keep the truth from emerging both their responses are becoming less and less like those of democrats and more and more like those of a street mob.

DA meeting with NERSA: review of electricity tariff decision still possible

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:45:00 +0200

On Friday, together with Shadow Deputy Minister of Energy David Ross MP, I met with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) to discuss what appeared to be significant problems in the adjudication of Eskom's tariff application with a view to review the decision. Crucially, Nersa informed us that the electricity tariff decision is still open for review, if compelling reasons can be brought before Nersa. The DA has in fact brought a number of these issues before Nersa and the regulator has committed that they would answer the queries of the DA by way of formal response within 7 days.

Minister of Health needs to come clean on extent of provincial overspend

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:43:11 +0200

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Minister of Health to come clean and state once and for all, what the extent of the provincial overspend is, as the DA understands that it could be as high as R12 billion.

Angie's choice - one that could make or break education

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:40:40 +0200

Basic education Minister Angie Motshekga has been asked by teacher's union SADTU to stop dealing with other teacher's trade unions. The demand is contained in a proposal by SADTU, that it be the only union allowed to represent teachers in talks with the government.