Minister Zulu splurges R689 000 on UK - France trip

An answer to a Parliamentary question I put to Minister Lindiwe Zulu reveals that she spent nearly R700 000 on a trip to the UK and France in October.

I fail to understand how such an enormous sum was spent unless she stayed in the best hotels, travelled first class and took a whole entourage with her.

I will be following up with another question to get to the bottom of how the money was spent.

This wasteful and fruitless expenditure is against the background of Minister Zulu and her Department crying about lack of budget for their programmes to boost small business development. 

Her response (carried in full below) shows nothing concrete emerged from her trip, which was more a series of talk shops than meetings with a clear set our outcomes. 

Financial Mail - Small Business: Request for a re-design

Today's edition of Financial Mail has an article by Stephen Timm on the strategy review recently conducted on the Department of Small Business Development.

"A TROUBLED picture of the small business development department has been painted by an auditor's review, which calls for the axing or relocation of a number of the department’s support programmes.

The department has faced criticism that nearly two years after its inception it has little to show for itself.

Parliament’s small business development committee last year ordered the department to carry out a review of its programmes, following concern over its failure to develop a proper strategic plan."

The author quotes me quite extensively towards the end of the article. It's a fair assessment of the review, in my opinion, which is by leaps and bounds a more incisive analysis of the department's strategy and programmes than its own internal assessments.

Now we wait for the department's and Minister Zulu's response. At our first Portfolio Committee meeting on Feb 10th I will be urging some swift action as the department cannot afford more months of drift and non-performance.

You can read the whole article here.

The Parliamentary Monitoring Group has a very comprehensive account of the Portfolio Committee meeting where the review was presented, here.

Back to school: DA donates educational toys at a Soweto school

Today our media office sent out a media advisory about our visit to Emseni primary school in Soweto, to hand over toys and other educational materials to a Pre-grade R class.

Journalists arrived just as we were confronted by a member of the school governing body who made a fuss about us appearing on the school grounds wearing our DA-branded clothing. We pointed out that the school principal had sent out a letter, on the school's letterhead, inviting parents to attend the handover. I also mentioned that I had made numerous visits to Soweto schools wearing DA clothes and not once were objections raised.

We compromised and removed our DA clothing for the official handover, and narrowly avoided a protest by the parents who objected to the SGB member's high-handed attitude!

The kids and parents packed into the classroom and received us with clapping and songs. The SGB chairperson graciously introduced us and a few speeches followed, including one from Steven Swiel whose efforts, and those of his parents Greg and Nicky, were entirely responsible for the funds raised to buy the toys and materials - three cheers to them!

Hlox and Pumla from our ward 130 branch put the event together (they have kids in another class at the school), along with Lebogang and other activists. Our councillor Timothy Radebe left the parents with the DA ringing in their ears.

Well done to them all for their initiative.

Doing business in South Africa - a roundtable discussion at the US consulate

On Monday I attended a roundtable discussion on the topic “Doing business in South Africa: challenges and opportunities”, hosted by the US Consulate in Sandton. The occasion was organised to coincide with a visit by a group of 45 MBA students from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ninety minutes of presentations and discussions left those present under no illusions about the tough journey we have travelled since 1994, and the mammoth task before us to reverse the worrying signs of decay and despondency now engulfing our nation.

The panellists’ three presentations could not have been more different, and taken together gave the bald facts, the historical context and some scenarios for our political economy which offer the doomsayers and optimists much to ponder on.

Speech by DA Leader Mmusi Maimane on race and identity

Democratic Alliance speech by

Mmusi Maimane MP

Leader of the Democratic Alliance

Let’s find each other again

          

19 January 2015

Release: immediate

Note to Editors: This speech was delivered by the Leader of the Democratic Alliance, Mmusi Maimane MP, at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg today.

Ladies and gentlemen

Fellow South Africans 

Bagaetsho 

Dumelang  

I stand before you as a child of Soweto, a proudly Black South African, a son of the African soil. 

I stand proud to live in a country that is no longer the skunk of the world, proud that out of the ashes of Apartheid a new nation could rise. 

I am a product of the Group Areas Act, the Population Registration Act and the 1913 Land Act. 

DA selects Herman Mashaba as Joburg Mayoral candidate

I don't normally put someone else's press statement on my blog but this announcement is a potential game-changer so I am making an exception.

I have known Herman Mashaba for ten years in business and more recently politics. I know him to be a forthright, no-nonsense individual who will add a new dimension to SA politics, now that he has thrown his hat into the ring. 

For him to put a life-long career in business on hold and dedicate himself to the DA winning, then running, the City of Joburg, is a measure of the man and I applaud him for his self-sacrifice and patriotism.

Below is his press statement  in full:

Democratic Alliance press statement by
Herman Mashaba
DA Mayoral Candidate for Johannesburg

I am ready to bring change to Johannesburg as DA Mayoral Candidate

DA Soweto West Constituency vocal on racism and jobs - featured on Soweto TV

My constituency, Soweto West, marched against racism and unemployment in Protea Glen last Saturday. We were joined by a crew from Soweto TV who produced a 2 minute clip which was aired on the Monday evening and Tuesday morning news bulletins.

You can watch it here

Then on Tuesday our Constituency  Secretary, Billy Nyaku, was interviewed on the News and Views show which aired that evening. You can see the interview here.