Western Cape premier Alan Winde has called on politicians represented in the provincial legislature to work together. During a sitting on Friday 23 October, Winde said he was “disappointed” that opposition members of the legislature did not put forward any ideas to help the province’s recovery in a post-coronavirus world.

The debate on Winde’s speech followed Thursday’s special sitting of the legislature where the premier addressed the province’s social and economic recovery plans. 

Read in Daily Maverick: Premier Alan Winde fleshes out Western Cape’s economic recovery plan

Starting off the debate, the ANC’s Rachel Windvogel said Winde “failed to rise to the occasion” of the debate, and that while he had used the word “courage” 39 times in his speech, he “must have the courage to admit that he failed the poor”. 

MEC for agriculture, Ivan Meyer, described Winde as “the best premier in the country”. 

Member of the GOOD party, Brett Herron, said “the premier is putting lipstick on a pig… these are not bold and courageous plans”. 

Heron, a former DA member who has been a vocal critic of the official opposition and Winde’s provincial government said: “These are the same plans being presented to us for a third time camouflaged with new labels. 

“On 18 July last year, the premier addressed this Parliament for the first time. He committed to creating jobs. He committed to ensuring a dignified life for each and every resident. He committed to safety.” 

Ricardo Mackenzie, chairperson of the standing committee on premier and constitutional matters, said “we must recognise that a key aspect of our turnaround strategy in the Western Cape is underpinned by economic recovery, without which we cannot realise our aims of [creating] job opportunities, dignity, wellbeing and safety… yet, instead of supporting provinces in the crucial attainment of these goals, national  government remains hellbent on bailing out – yes, once again – South African Airways to the tune of R10-billion.” 

Both Pat Lekker of the ANC and the EFF’s Nosipho Makamba-Botya questioned what plans there were to keep residents in poor areas safe, with Makamba-Botya saying the speech by Winde was “not only uninspiring, but a waste of time”. 

Makamba-Botya said the speech was a repetition of other speeches and slated the province’s safety plan – which aims to halve the murder rate by 2030 – as “nothing but a fruitless and wasteful adventure that will never receive any positive results”. 

Read in Daily Maverick:  Winde pledges R1-billion a year to fight crime and halve Western Cape murder rate by 2030

Peter Marais of the Freedom Front Plus suggested the establishment of a centralised unemployment agency where jobseekers could view vacancies as some people don’t have access to the internet. 

Responding to the debate, Winde said he would look at the suggestion raised by Marais to “see what can be done”. Other than that, Winde questioned whether opposition members of the legislature had in fact read his speech, adding that he was “disappointed that people did not come up with new ideas”. 

Addressing Windvogel’s claim that he and his government were reckless in wanting the lockdown to end, Winde, dropping his generally calm demeanour, said “quite frankly, the minister [health minister Zweli Mkhize] was damn reckless”. This was in reference to a series of tweets and a statement issued on Wednesday evening by Mkhize in which he claimed there was a 42% increase of Covid-19 cases in the Western Cape. 

“He said nothing about other provinces,” Winde maintained, and questioned where Mkhize had got his figures from. 

Winde said the province cannot afford another lockdown. 

“A second wave will make us poorer; a second wave will make us more hungry; a second wave will cost us more jobs.” 

In closing the debate, Winde said, “we need jobs, we need safety and we need dignity… and we all need to work together”. DM