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The ANC today voted against the adoption to the Western Cape’s Additional Adjustments Appropriation Bill in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, a bill that specifically allocates more funding to education infrastructure, and emergency loadshedding relief for local governments.

This once again shows a complete disregard for the people of this province, when common-sense interventions that have a direct impact on the well-being of our residents are opposed purely out of partisanship.

The Western Cape government received R115 million for education infrastructure due to under-expenditure in other provinces such as the Eastern Cape. The DA in the Western Cape welcomes these funds as it has always been our belief that capable governments should be rewarded with incentives for their good governance instead of being punished for governing well. It is thus appalling that the ANC voted against this budget where additional national government funding is being allocated for more classrooms for the children of this province.

In addition to this, the ANC has objected to the Western Cape making R89 million available for the provision of emergency generators for Western Cape Municipalities, ensuring that water infrastructure is not damaged by persistent loadshedding, that the taps do not run dry, and that water quality is not compromised. The ANC does not seem to understand that you need electricity to pump water.

MPP Deidré Baartman says: “If these are the types of interventions that the ANC proudly opposes, it becomes incredibly difficult to see how such an organisation can claim to represent the people of this province, and indeed the country.

Where the DA governs, we are going above and beyond to mitigate the disaster of the ANC National Government. At this critical point in our country’s history, pragmatic and practical solutions are needed, and that is what the DA has done, regardless of petty opposition from the ANC.”

Issued by Deidré Baartman, MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Budget