DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga on Monday accused the governing ANC of stalling debate on a motion of no confidence in Gauteng Premier David Makhura in the provincial legislature.
Speaking at a virtual press briefing ahead of the premier’s State of the Province Address (Sopa) on Tuesday, Msimanga slated Makhura for his running of the province, saying the ANC had refused to schedule the debate to hold him accountable.
“We have already tabled a motion of no confidence in Premier Makhura and despite the ANC refusing to schedule the motion for a debate and vote, we will keep pursuing the opportunity to exercise this constitutional mechanism,” Msimanga said.
Gauteng DA chief whip Mike Moriarty said the ANC had indicated the debate could be held later this year on 22 September.
The ANC caucus in the provincial legislature earlier this month described the DA’s motion as “ill-informed, opportunistic and frivolous”, and reaffirmed the party’s confidence in Makhura’s leadership.
However, giving his reasons for the premier’s removal from office, Msimanga accused Makhura of failing to adequately prepare and equip healthcare facilities to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
“By July last year at the peak of the first wave there was only one field hospital partially operating in the province. The Nasrec field hospital had opened without piped oxygen and proper equipment for 500 beds, with a further 800 planned beds still needing to be completed.
“At this time, another four sites had been identified for field hospitals, but were nowhere near ready to receive patients. This all happened despite several proposals from the private sector to build field hospitals, but were summarily ignored by the provincial government,” he said said.
Msimanga also cited corruption scandals involving the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the dissolution of the City of Tshwane council that was overturned by the Pretoria high court in April last year.
“Makhura should be taking responsibility for what has been happening,” he said.
The DA Gauteng leader also presented the party’s Getting Gauteng Back on Track plan to improve service delivery by the provincial departments of education, local government, and economic development, among others.
“Although we are not hopeful that all, if not any, of these solutions will be mentioned during tomorrow’s Sopa, we still believe that the members of the provincial executive can take these measures and implement them to bring about some form of stability in their departments and that service delivery can improve for the people of Gauteng.
“It is high time all MECs shake themselves out of their lockdown hibernation and step up so the residents of our province can finally start having a government that works for them,” he said.
-The Citizen
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