Cape Town - Western Cape Premier Alan Winde outlines five points the provincial government wants to hear from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday night.
First on the agenda for Winde is the lifting of the National State of Disaster, a repeat of the call the premier has been advocating on multiple occasions.
“It is now time to end the National State of Disaster and to normalise our response to the Covid-19 pandemic, through existing national public health legislation,” Winde said on Wednesday.
The national government announced the official end to the fourth wave on January 31, when a number of Covid-19 protocols were subsequently revised.
Winde described the announcement for the extension of the state of disaster for an additional month by Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma on January 14 as “deeply disappointing”.
“Instead, we should focus on investment in new infrastructure, and policies that enable private sector-led growth,” Winde added.
The premier also wants Ramaphosa to address the unequal distribution of police resources.
He highlighted one example of the population to police ratio in Bothasig Police Station as being 100:1, compared to 895:1 in Ravensmead.
“This was emphasised in the judgment handed down by the Equality Court in 2018, which found that the system of allocation of human resources used by the national SAPS discriminates unfairly against poor people,” Winde said.
The closure of Cape Town’s central rail line, and getting Prasa back on track to provide the province with a reliable commuting service, was next on the agenda for the premier.
“Our residents need a commitment, matched with the necessary resourcing, to get this situation rectified as soon as possible. The Western Cape Government is willing to be the implementing partner so that this is achieved,” Winde said.
The inefficiencies at the Port of Cape Town, which is run through a national entity, was the fourth item Winde wanted Ramaphosa to address.
Towards the end of January, Cape Town’s economic growth and tourism mayco member James Vos said the congestion at the port, that had resulted in long export delays, was deeply troubling.
“We need a modern, and efficient port if we are going to grow the economy and create jobs. Getting this fixed should be a priority for the national government,” Winde explained.
Lastly, Winde believes local and provincial governments ‘can get the job done’, and therefore should be empowered with more resources and responsibilities.
“This devolution of power brings government closer to the people, and ensures localised responses to the challenges our people face. We hope to see a commitment to this approach, especially in budget allocations,” the premier said.
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