Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, who is serving his second term, addressed the opening of the seventh provincial legislature on Wednesday, highlighting the need for a fair share of the budget from the National Treasury, as well as his government’s commitments to job creation, eradicating poverty and providing safety and security.
Premier of the Western Cape Alan Winde greets choir members at the Western Cape Provincial Legislature on 31 July 2024. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)
Winde, from the DA, was re-elected as premier after the 29 May general elections. He appointed Deidré Baartman, Jaco Londt and Isaac Sileku as new members of his cabinet. Baartman, the finance MEC, would work closely with the National Treasury to secure funding for the province, said the premier.
Key takeaways from his opening address include:
Budget
Winde said a critical focus for the Western Cape government would be ensuring financial sustainability. He criticised the national government’s budget cuts that were announced during the national Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement last year.
“Our residents were forced to endure unprecedented in-year cuts, compromising budgets. These budget cuts are hitting frontline government services such as education, healthcare and social development the hardest. It is the most vulnerable in society who are feeling the impact most acutely,” said Winde.
In November 2023, Winde declared an intergovernmental dispute with the national government represented by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Public Service and Administration Minister Noxolo Kiviet to secure R1.1-billion from the National Treasury for the public sector wage increase.
He argued that the province should not have to foot the bill for this wage increase, which was agreed to by the national government, while at the same time, its budget was cut.
“We had little choice but to declare an intergovernmental dispute (IGD) with the national government. We have proven that by taking this step, we can raise challenging issues with the national government constructively. The IGD sought to lay out clear principles for how future wage deals are to be agreed,” said Winde.
Read more: Western Cape declares intergovernmental dispute with Treasury over rising public sector wage bill
Job creation
The premier said that despite the creation of 82,000 jobs over the past year, the province’s unemployment rate remained at 21.4%. He said supporting the private sector was crucial to creating more jobs and reducing the unemployment rate to below 20%.
“This province has the highest number of households that derive their income from a salary, at 74.6%. And we are determined to make it as easy as possible for the private sector to do business and create more jobs in our province.
“We need to make sure that the foundations for a thriving jobs environment are in place. That is why we will work tirelessly with the GNU [Government of National Unity] to ensure that Operation Vulindlela’s plans are implemented.”
The tourism sector remains a key job enabler in the Western Cape, particularly in Cape Town. Winde said that for every 100 international visitors, the province gained R2.1-million in direct tourism spend, which added R500,000 to the province’s GDP and created two jobs.
Read more: Western Cape gets R1.2bn boost from cruise industry, with 1,800 jobs and even more growth on horizon
Infrastructure
Following the damage caused by floods in the province, Winde emphasised the importance of disaster management and the necessity of adapting to an unpredictable environment.
“We have to invest in the mitigation of climate change — that means when we build a bridge, we do not want the bridge to wash away. We have already started that; the bridge that we … built in Ashton — that bridge was built without legs underneath it. Now when it is flooded, the bridge does not wash away.”
When asked about flooding in informal settlements, Winde told Daily Maverick that many were in low-lying areas from where water could not drain. “We need to invest in better drainage systems,” he said.
Read more: Thousands left homeless in Western Cape as gale-force winds and torrential rain wreak havoc
Safety and security
Winde applauded the success of the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (Leap) and the SA Police Service for their resilient work to prevent crime. He said the police needed more resources to eradicate crime.
“Our courageous women and men who are deployed every day to some of our most crime-infested neighbourhoods across Cape Town work tirelessly to make other community members feel safer. Our Leap officers have made more than 34,000 arrests, and counting,” said Winde.
News24 earlier this year reported that murders in the Western Cape had increased by 8.6% year on year, according to the latest quarterly crime statistics.
Winde said, “To beat back crime, we need adequate resources, which remains a serious concern for me. Our colleagues in the South African Police Service in the Western Cape are not properly resourced.”
Winde told Daily Maverick he was happy that national Police Minister Senzo Mchunu seemed open to giving metro police investigative powers.
“The minister of police has been here to see us. [It’s] exciting that he is also saying we’ve got to look at the policing model. That is what I have been calling for all along.”
Helping the most vulnerable
Winde proposed sending learners in school feeding schemes home with food parcels on Fridays to prevent weekend hunger. This is part of his plan to combat hunger by collaborating with the departments of health, education, and social development.
Opposition response
Members of the opposition expressed dissatisfaction with Winde’s address.
Thozama Lithakong, an MPL from the EFF, said, “He did not say much because he did not give us the handover or the solutions of the projects or rather the update on the project of the sixth Parliament; instead he committed and made other promises while we haven’t got the update of the previous ones.
“He committed that they are going to continue with the inclusive infrastructure, which I don’t understand, because how can it be inclusive but the black townships are excluded?”
Nobulumko Nkondlo, an ANC MPL, said, “My take is that his speech was flat, nothing new. He raises things of the previous [administration]. He talks about how each household in the Western Cape has a job, which is a blatant lie.
“I stay in Gugulethu. Just on my street, I can tell you there are a number of households where nobody is working, and that is the reality of many working-class and poor communities. Perhaps he is referring to the affluent areas,” she said.
The legislature will debate Winde’s address on Thursday, 1 August. DM
Daily Maverick
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