Cape Town - Newly appointed Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, Daylin Mitchell has officially announced the opening of the fifth session of the Sixth Parliament of the Western Cape, and the Premier’s State of the Province Address (Sopa).
The sixth session of the provincial parliament accompanied by the Premier’s Sopa address is set to take place on Thursday, February 16, 2023.
The Sopa will be held at the Western Cape Provincial Parliament Building, 7 Wale Street, Cape Town.
This will be Mitchell’s first Sopa since his ceremonious appointment late last year, after the ousting of former Speak Masizole Mnqasela, and it will also coincide with Premier Alan Winde’s first address back in the Chamber after three years of hosting it in different parts of the province.
According to the WCPP, the debate on the Sopa will take place in the same venue on the morning of Friday, February 17, followed by the Premier’s reply to the debate in the afternoon.
Mitchell also announced that in efforts to make good on provincial government’s commitment to making the Sopa as accessible to as many residents as possible.
He would be writing to the mayors of the municipalities in the Western Cape requesting them to make suitably equipped municipal venues available for members of the public to view the live streams of the proceedings on both days.
He said: “The provincial legislature is looking forward to hosting these critical debates that speak to issues that are at the forefront of the concerns of our residents, such as the impact of the load shedding crisis, the continued response of the government to security, and rebuilding this economy after the pandemic. I will communicate further details regarding the exact arrangements in due course.”
Premier Alan Winde on Monday, January 9, welcomed the announcement by Mitchell, saying that he would be reporting back to the people of the Western Cape on progress made by the Western Cape Government (WCG) over the past year in delivering on its strategic priorities: growth for jobs, safety, dignity, and wellbeing.
He said: “I look forward to working with speaker Mitchell who will take our parliament forward, along with the members of the provincial parliament play a vital role in helping to improve our province and offer our communities dignity and hope in these challenging times.”
“This year, we must be bold and decisive in tackling challenges that have for too long been holding us back, namely the energy crisis and crime. Now more than ever the WCG must go all out to meaningfully remedy these critical issues,” Winde said.
According to the premier’s office on February 16, Winde will also speak to how the WCG will continue to support municipalities, businesses, and residents as we respond to ongoing load shedding, which is a severe impediment to all of us achieving the kind of growth the province needs.