ANC- Zille disappoints with stale provincial address

Mluleki Mrwebi

23 February 2013

 The Western Cape Premier Helen Zille delivered her speech during the opening of the provincial Legislature.

Zille`s speech received both positive and negative welcome from various organisations and individuals.

The African National Congress in the province said it is outrageous that the premier tried to offset the horrific rape and killing of women scourge in the province with references to a coffee enterprise and other incomparable economic ventures – however deserving they may be! The ANC nevertheless always welcomes economic development.

ANC`s Lynne Brown said what is worst is that she at length talked and talked on education, but overlooked the elephant in the room: her government’s arbitrary closure of twenty poor schools!

Brown added that she boasted too much with old and known projects, like the Khayelitsha hospital, but she was silent on the pathetic poor performance and track record on housing in the Western Cape under her watch where even reduced targets are not met and sanitation problems plague the poor.

She further said clearly Zille has no plan to address social ills and her patronising attitude does little to change the perception that the DA does not care for the poor or their plight.