URGENT HELP NEEDED FOR DISPLACED IMMIGRANTS!

We are sitting with a very serious situation in Akasia at the moment: I'm sure everyone is aware of the refugee camp for foreigners that has been set up at Akasia Skietbaan, in Klerksoord for the immigrants. We are currently sitting with about 2000 immigrants in this camp.

There is no running water, no electricity, just 1 tap, about 3 toilets, tents (set up by the army) and a whole lot of tension.

We are in dire need of the following:

Formula Milk for babies;
Disposable nappies,
Blankets,
Ready to eat food;
Towels;
Cloths;
Tooth Brushes;
Tooth Paste;
Plastic Containers;
Buckets;
Cups;
Soap;
Washing Powder;
Vaseline;
Cream;
Warm Clothes for Babies and Children.

Medical donations: time from medical practitioners and medicine for ill children.

These are just the basic things every human being needs, and anything you want to donate will be appreciated.

Donations can be dropped off at the DA Head Office at 517 Jorrisen Street in Sunnyside where it will be collected and distributed.

There are children as young as 2 months and elderly as old as 87 years in this camp, with no refuge, nothing. Your very urgent help will be appreciated.

Please circulate this letter amongst people you think will be able to assist.

Feel free to contact Eloise if you have any questions.

Thank you.


For Queries:

DA Regional Office: Tel 012-343-1358

Cllrs. D.G Wannenburg Ward 2, J Barendrecht Ward 1 & B.J Wannenburg Ward 50

Eloise Robertson (PA)

Tel: 012 546 0410

Fax: 012 546 3158

wann@mweb.co.za

DA Calls the Amalgamation of Northern Gauteng Municipalities Unpractical, Non-Viable

Media Release Issued by Fred Nel, Leader DA Tshwane Caucus
Date: Monday 26 May 2008
Immediate release

Fred Nel, Leader of the DA Tshwane Caucus, today reacted to the proposed merger of the Tshwane (Greater Pretoria), Kungwini (Bronkhorstspruit) and Nokeng Tsa Taemane (Cullinan) councils and called it an unpractical and non-viable proposal. “The proposal by the Municipal Demarcation Board that these municipalities be merged is definitely a political decision and not a practical or viable one. It is clear that that due to the political problems in the various municipalities and the threat from the DA to win some of these in the next municipal election has played a role”.

“In our view the Municipal Demarcation Board was influenced by the ANC who was unhappy with the original proposal and it has buckled under the political pressure. There are problems in those municipalities and these could have been sorted out by restructuring the municipal system in those areas. Now it becomes the Tshwane Metro’s problem and the question that we have to ask is who is going to foot the bill to get service delivery restored to these areas said Nel.

Nel commented that the proposal made no sense geographically, economically or socially and will cause massive problems during the merger process. “We have just settled the Tshwane Metro Council’s integration almost eight years after it was formed and now it is going to be disrupted again due to this proposed merger. Service delivery will experience a further decline when this monstrously large municipality has to serve such a large geographic area.”

Nel also commented that millions has been spent by the Tshwane Metro Council to develop spatial development frameworks and to put a uniform planning system in place. “Our administration already creaks under the heavy load and now it will inherit three more councils that are in disarray. This will lead to another process where internal systems will have to be integrated causing further delays in municipal services.”

According to Nel the DA supported the original proposal that would have seen Silver Lakes, Mooikloof and other areas on the eastern urban edge of the Municipality be incorporated into the Metro. “The original proposal made sense as these areas formed natural linkages with the Tshwane Metro. However, the new proposal which will result in at least three major town centres very far apart from each other, does not make sense.”

END
Enquiries: Fred Nel - 0832632427

DA CONDEMNS XENOPHOBIA IN GARSFONTEIN

Statement issued by Fred Nel, Leader of the DA Tshwane Pretoria Caucus

Fred Nel, Leader of the DA’s Tshwane Caucus, today condemned the xenophobic attacks that occurred in the Moreleta Park/ Garsfontein area east of Pretoria. “We have been warning the council for a long time now that the informal settlements in the Woodlands area need to be addressed; however, they chose not to take action. We condemn the attack on foreigners in the area and request the government and security forces to step in and take control of the situation.”

Nel commented that apart from crime, the eastern side of Pretoria has always been a peaceful area and actions like this would no doubt shock the residents. “I am just scared that residents in the area, who are already fed up with violent crime, will take the law into their own hands if the police don’t step in and solve the problem. We could sit with a mini war on our hands if the situation is not calmed down immediately.”

Nel called on all political parties to play a role in educating their members in the art of tolerance in order to stem the wave of xenophobia. “I think we all have a role to play in educating communities to tolerate each other. Political parties, government and NGO’s need to step in and educate people that violence is never the solution to our problems. We already live in a violent and criminal society we don’t need to add these xenophobic attacks to our growing list of societal threats.”

END

Enquiries: Cllr. Fred Nel 0832632427

Click on the image above for details about the protest in favour of retaining the Scorpions. Forward it to everybody in your address book!!!

Sign the online petition to Save the Scorpions by clicking on this link: http://www.mypetition.co.za/index.php?page=sign_petition&petition_id=39

JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT BY OPPOSITION PARTIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (ACDP, DA, ID & UDM)
15 May 2008

The ACDP, DA, ID and UDM yesterday filed a joint submission in the High Court as amicus curiae in the application brought by Mr Hugh Glenister to interdict the Government from disbanding the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO).

Our contention is that the decision to pursue legislation disbanding the Scorpions was not made by any organ of state, but by the ANC in an effort to protect its members from investigation and prosecution for alleged transgressions.

We contend that the continued existence of the Scorpions in its current form is an essential element in the fight against crime, a position reinforced by the Khampepe Commission Report.

The reasons that Government and ANC office-bearers have advanced for disbanding the Scorpions have never been sufficient. We have noted that the Khampepe Commission Report dispels virtually all of the "concerns" that have been raised by the ANC relating to the Scorpions. To find the actual motive, one only needs look at the statements by ANC Secretary Gwede Mantashe at a press conference with the DA that the Scorpions are being disbanded because they allegedly target ANC members.

The motive and process being followed in the ANC’s attempts to disband the Scorpions is an abuse of power and a subversion of democracy. We are united in our determination to prevent this undemocratic process that the ANC has initiated. We will pursue, jointly and separately, various steps to thwart the ANC`s disgraceful attempt to undermine the fight against organised crime and corruption. One such step is our decision to apply to act as friends of the Court in the Glenister application. We believe that we are in a position to provide the court with a unique perspective.

We will continue to exhaust all parliamentary avenues when this legislation is debated. We will also vigilantly monitor whether the public hearings provide South Africans adequate opportunity to raise their views. We will do everything in our power to prevent the parliamentary process being subverted and the ANC using its majority in Parliament to rubberstamp a law that will weaken our country’s crime fighting abilities and serves only the interests of certain ANC leaders.

Council was Warned about Blazing Building

Press Statement Released by Peter Millar, Councillor for ward 41.

There was a fire today (14/05/08) at 381 Pretoria Road, Silverton. A large part of the buildings were badly damaged.

A factory building was erected on this property more than two years ago. It is a residential area. The property is zoned for residential use and has never been rezoned. No plans for the building were ever submitted to or approved by the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. No occupation certificate was ever issued.

The building had been occupied and used as a manufacturing and repair facility. It created noise and caused other types of pollution. It loomed over the residential properties surrounding the building and had an unsightly façade.

In spite of numerous complaints to the Municipality by the residents and myself, nothing was done. In fact, the Municipality continued supplying water and electricity. The Municipality may not supply services to buildings that do not have approved building plans and occupation certificates.

The City Planning Department (Mr Martin van Niekerk, 012-358-4570, 082-494-7986) was fully aware of the problem and made numerous promises to take action. This type of business and/or building is not provided for in the town planning scheme, the development framework for the area or the Integrated Development Plan.

Due to inefficiencies, procrastinations and dereliction of duty, this problem was allowed to perpetuate. I discussed the particular problem of this property with the Mayor during a meeting with her in February 2007.

Not only was this building a problem to the residents of the area, but also posed a danger to the workers in the building, as we have now seen.

I am grateful that there were no serious casualties during the fire.

Now that the building has largely been destroyed, I hope the Municipality will make sure that the ruins are finally demolished and the illegal activities are stopped on the property.

This was certainly poetic justice.

PETER MILLAR
COUNCILLOR, WARD 41
TSHWANE METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY
012-342-0527
082-574-4103
petermillar@polka.co.za

Mandela Honour Befitting Despite Municipal Workers' Disrespect

Press Release
13 May 2008
Tshwane Freedom of the City for Former President Mandela
The Leader of the Democratic Alliance in the Tshwane Metrpolitan Municpal Council, Fred Nel, today conveyed his party’s heartfelt congratulations to South Africa’s first democratic president Mr Nelson Mandela on being awarded freedom of the city.
“This is a very befitting tribute to the most popular president our country ever had. It is specially befitting that South Africa’s capital city bestows this honour on President Mandela who was inaugurated in Pretoria in 1994. I am confident that Pretoria is proud to be associated with this most important event in our history and one of the world’s leading icons in the fight for democracy.” Said Fred Nel.
“It is our responsibility to sustain this image of a democratic South Africa in the spirit that was pioneered by President Mandela by living as true democrats. We need to honour his memory and his massive contribution to nation building as democrats.” Nel concluded.

In a late addition Fred Nel also uttered the DA's shock at the behaviour of SAMWU members during the presentation of the freedom of the city to President Mandela. "The actions by the trade union members was in bad taste and not befitting of what was the honouring of one of South Africa's greatest leaders. Surely the leaders of the trade union knew and was aware of the actions planned at the city hall. They should be held responsible and accountable for their members' behaviour. I also call on SAMWU to apologise for their disrespectful behaviour." said Nel

Issued by Fred Nel, Leader DA Tshwane Caucus
Enquiries: Fred Nel: 0832632427

Workers Day Reminds Us of the Unemployed and Discouraged

Workers Day Statement issued by: Anchen Dreyer, DA spokesperson on Labour
30 April 2008

While commemorating the contribution of workers to society, Worker’s Day also serves as a stark reminder of South Africa`s chronic unemployment problem and the challenges faced by the millions of unemployed and discouraged workers in society. The Democratic Alliance (DA) would also like to convey our sympathy and support for the Nationwide staff who are currently facing an uncertain future amid the airline abruptly ceasing operations. While South Africa`s narrow unemployment rate of 23 percent is alarmingly high, the broad definition of unemployment at 36 percent is reaching crisis proportions.

Disturbingly, the number of discouraged workers is on the rise in South Africa. Specifically, the number of discouraged job-seekers have increased by 431 000 to 3.4 million between September 2001 and September 2007. The 3.9 million narrowly defined unemployed in the years to September 2007 indicates that there are almost as many discouraged job-seekers as there are active job-seekers.

With unemployment at such high levels, the government`s priority must shift towards job creation.

The August 2007 International Monetary Fund (IMF) country report notes South Africa’s high unemployment rate and emphasises the need for government to identify and revise labour market regulations that discourage job creation.

The DA has long contended that relaxing onerous labour laws will make it easier for both the unemployed and the growing volume of discouraged job-seekers to enter the job-market. While still protecting labour, government must find a level of protection that is consistent with the priority of maximum job creation. Particularly on Worker’s Day, the political and social role that trade unions have played in the South African landscape must also be underscored. The primary role of trade unions is to raise the wages and improve the working conditions of their members relative to non-unionised workers. As such, trade unions prevent (usually low-skilled) workers, who are willing to accept lower wages to secure an exit from unemployment, from entering the job market.[1]

This Worker’s Day must be used to address the growing challenges faced by the unemployed if we are to realise our goal of reducing poverty and halving unemployment by 2014. Government must consider how labour market policies and trade union actions affect unemployment and the prospects of millions of South Africans.

[1] Jasson Urbach, The role of labour unions in post-apartheid SA, The Free Market Foundation, 4 March 2008

Overcoming the Threats to Freedom

Freedom Day Statement issued by: Helen Zille, DA Leader
26 April 2008

South Africa has traveled a great distance since our first democratic election in 1994. We have come of age as a nation; we have realised that there is more that holds us together than keeps us apart.

As we celebrate Freedom Day we must ask: Are we truly free in South Africa today?

I am afraid to say that the answer to this question must be “no”.

Many people might disagree. They will say that we gained our freedom when we voted in that first democratic election. I will reply that elections are not enough to make you free. We only have to look at Zimbabwe to see that.

They will say that we have a Constitution and a Bill of Rights that guarantees our freedom. I will reply that the mere existence of a Constitution is not enough to make us free. It is a blueprint for freedom, but does not guarantee it.

When we use the Constitution as the yardstick to measure our progress, we see that the free society it envisages is not the one we live in. The majority of our people are still a long way from enjoying their most basic freedoms:

• When 53 people are murdered every day, we cannot say that the right to life is upheld.
• When 144 women and children are raped every single day, we cannot say that the right to be free from violence is protected.
• When 15 million people are without access to basic sanitation, we cannot say that the right to dignity is enjoyed by all.
• When 10 million people live in informal settlements, we cannot say that the right of access to adequate housing has been fulfilled.
• When half a million HIV positive people require access to antiretroviral drugs but do not receive them, we cannot say that there is access to basic healthcare.

It is clear that there is much work to be done, and it is going to take the efforts of every one of us to make our Constitution a living, breathing reality. But the story does not end there. Fourteen years after our first democratic election, we face a new threat to our freedom. The threat is a ruling party that believes it is more important than the Constitution. It is a party that believes it will rule until Jesus comes.

• Instead of allowing the free press to flourish, the ANC wants to control the media.
• Instead of allowing the judiciary to be independent, the ANC wants to make judges accountable to politicians.
• Instead of fighting crime and corruption, the ANC wants to take away the Scorpions.
• Instead of opening the space for real debate, the ANC wants to shut down Parliament.

On Freedom Day every year, the ANC pays tribute to the icons of the liberation struggle. Its leader sings about machine guns. This is because the ANC needs people to stay in the past if it is to keep power in the future. The ANC undermines freedom in the present and has no vision for the future. So where is the hope?

The hope lies in the people of South Africa who never gave up in the past and will not give up now. The hope lies in a party that does have a clear vision for the future, the Democratic Alliance.

Our vision is an open society in which the people are more important than the ruling party. It is a society with a free and questioning press, an independent judiciary and a Parliament that holds the government to account. Our vision is an open opportunity society in which every person has the freedom to achieve their goals, whatever their background. It is a society where every person’s basic needs are met, where people do not live in fear of criminals, where every child has access to a good school and where every person has a job. This open, opportunity society is the one promised in our Constitution.

A few weeks ago, the US Presidential candidate Barack Obama, gave a landmark speech in Philadelphia. He spoke of the struggle to attain the liberties that were set out in the American Constitution, but were denied to many for so long. He said:"Words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States. What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who were willing to do their part – through protests and struggle, on the streets and in the courts, through a civil war and civil disobedience and always at great risk - to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time."

Narrowing the gap between the reality of our time and the open opportunity society envisaged in the Constitution is the DA’s mission. And it is a mission that will succeed. It will succeed because most South Africans are rejecting the politics of race. They are more interested in the politics of ideas and the politics of prosperity. It will succeed because the ruling party has shown that it cannot govern. It has shown that it rules in the interests of the connected few and not the majority of our people. It will succeed because the ANC believes that it rules South Africa by divine right. It forgets about the people that put it in power.

In the coming months and years, the DA will continue to build the moderate, non-racial centre of politics. We will take power in this country municipality by municipality and province by province. And, make no mistake, we will not wait until Jesus comes.

Vacancy Avaliable at the DA in Cape Town

Click on the picture to see it full size