President must take action to prove that he does not just pay lip service
18 July 2019
President Cyril Ramaphosa says that he is a president who is not afraid to take action and that we must watch and see what he will do.
He can start by showing South Africa what he is willing to do about the two South African ambassadors who brought disgrace to our country. The first is the ambassador in the Netherlands, Bruce Koloane, and the second is the ambassador in Denmark, Zinzi Mandela-Hlongwane.
Koloane was implicated in corruption while Mandela-Hlongwane made racist statements on social media that border on hate speech.
The FF Plus also wants to know why the President is afraid to publicly condemn farm murders. The agricultural community of South Africa cannot comprehend it and wants him to clarify.
The Premiers of North West and Gauteng, Job Mokgoro and David Makhura, as well as the Speaker of the National Assembly and former Premier of North West, Thandi Modise, did not hesitate to condemn it publicly. The FF Plus is once again calling on the President to condemn farm murders.
With regard to crime, the President already said in his SONA that he will ensure that violent crime is halved. That is commendable. But it cannot be done without taking decisive action and using technology.
Parliament's Portfolio Committee for Police adopted legislation as far back as 2012 that stipulates that a link must be established between the record of fingerprints taken by the police and the fingerprint database of Home Affairs, which is the most comprehensive database in the country.
It will make a significant contribution to the fight against crime, but up to date nothing has been done. Millions of rand are spent on computer systems and other technological aids, but as long as this link is not in place, violent crime cannot be halved.
The deputy president, David Mabuza, raised the land issue today. Those who still believe that the Constitution will not be amended so as to make provision for expropriation without compensation must take note of the statements he made during the budget vote debate of the Presidency. He said that the government will proceed to amend Section 25 of the Constitution. It will happen.
The biggest problem is that people think that Section 25 can only be amended with a two thirds majority and that there will be certain conditions in the Expropriation Act that must first be met. An ordinary law can be amended in Parliament with a mere 50% plus one majority.
As soon as the Constitution has been amended, the Expropriation Act can simply be amended with the ANC majority. That paves the way for nationalisation in the future.
For the sake of general progress in the country, the FF Plus requests that the President must dissolve district councils. They serve no purpose. Municipalities must also immediately terminate the services of consumers who do not pay their accounts to make it clear that the culture of non-payment will not be tolerated any longer.
Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 18 July 2019
