Business not as usual - letter to Business Day

First, thanks to all the regular and new readers of Tata Ma Chance Tata Ma DA who visited over the weekend. Your shared my account of events in the House of Assembly on Thursday multiple times on Facebook and Twitter, leading to a huge spike in readership. Thank you! It seems to have struck a chord.

Sunday newspaper editors had to scurry to update their front pages, which no doubt were to be dominated by Numsa's expulsion from Cosatu until the wires became clogged with the story of police storming Parliament. For once they were spoiled for choice.

Amidst all the drama I overlooked my letter published in Business Day on Friday, reproduced below. I hope the Minister of Small Business Development, Lindiwe Zulu, takes my message to heart while she reflects on her unseemly behaviour in Parliament which has not gone down well, and nor should it.

Parliament in crisis - the back story

Yesterday's debacle in Parliament left many people licking their wounds, both literally and figuratively, but four in particular will need more than band aid to repair the damage done to their reputations - Speaker Baleka Mbete, ANC Chief Whip Stone Sizani, Minister of Small Business Development Lindiwe Zulu and House Chair Cedric Frolick. They must be reflecting on what came over them during those few hours of madness and mayhem which will go down in the annals as one of the darkest moments in our new democracy. 

ANC self destructs in Parliament. South Africa the loser. DA the sole guardian of democracy.

Today will be remembered as a dark day in  South Africa's democracy. The Speaker and ANC Chief Whip cross swords. Speaker Mbete withdraws ignominiously. The House descends into chaos. Riot police enter the House and are forcibly removed by Members who refuse to be intimidated. Members are assaulted. Rules are ignored. DA Parliamentary Leader Mmusi Maimane restores order and dignity, establishing himself as Parliament's moral guardian. DA Chief Whip John Steenhuisen the bastion of order and propriety.

Tomorrow I will post a summary of events, and try to make sense of it all.

Is Andile Cele South Africa's budding Ralph Lauren?

Yesterday, on my way to Soweto, I made a detour to Marshalltown in downtown Johannesburg to visit a friend of my Constituency Officer, Nomzekelo Monakali. Her friend, Andile Cele, owns a fashion store, she said, and wanted to talk to me about how to grow the business. I'm always keen to talk to budding entrepreneurs so I didn't take much persuading. What I found was a young man filled with ideas, perseverance, a determination to succeed and the makings of a fashion brand that, I believe, has the potential to make him rich and famous.

The beauty of choral evensong

One of the highlights of my month is singing in choral evensong at St George's Church in Parktown. Evensong is peculiar to the Anglican church and is taken from the Book of Common Prayer with most of the liturgy sung rather than spoken. St George's evensong takes place on the first Sunday of each month, followed by sherry in the hall. It is a beautiful service which leaves one feeling spiritually enriched and ready for the week ahead.

Lufhereng housing development in Soweto shrouded in controversy

Today in Parliament I called on the City of Johannesburg to come clean on the Lufhereng housing development in Ward 53, Soweto, which is shrouded in controversy.

Statement by Toby Chance, MP

30th October 2014

The City of Johannesburg has long been bragging about its massive Lufhereng housing development in Ward 53 in the far west of Soweto. Launched in 2008, it was projected to comprise 6 000 rental units, 6 000 bonded units and 12 000 RDP units, as well as schools, clinics, crèches, agricultural and commercial land.

Press statement: E-tolls killing jobs throughout Gauteng

Democratic Alliance press statement by

Toby Chance MP

DA Shadow Minister of Small Business Development 

E-tolls killing jobs throughout Gauteng

27 October 2014

Release: immediate

Note to editors: This statement was delivered to members of the media at a press briefing hosted by DA Shadow Minister of Small Business Development, Toby Chance MP, DA Parliamentary Leader, Mmusi Maimane MP, DA Shadow Minister of Transport, Manny de Freitas MP, and DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport, Neil Campbell MPL, this morning. A spreadsheet detailing the costs breakdown is attached here.

The Democratic Alliance today announces the initial findings of our survey on e-tolling’s impact on small businesses.

The results confirm what the DA has said all along – e-tolls are killing jobs and businesses in Gauteng.