SACP provincial secretary in the Western Cape Benson Ngqentsu. Picture : Phando Jikelo/Independent Newspapers Archive
The SACP in the Western Cape has entered the fray in criticising the DA for redeploying corruption-accused former Drakenstein mayor Conrad Poole to the provincial legislature.
Poole was booted out as mayor at a council meeting following a motion of no confidence brought by the ANC’s leader in the council, after an investigation into allegations that Poole was involved in a pay-for-jobs scheme.
SACP provincial secretary Benson Ngqentsu said they applauded the ANC-led broad front on the removal of Poole as Drakenstein mayor on February 28.
“Given the seriousness of these allegations, the SACP calls for an investigation and ultimately the arrest of Mr Poole,” Ngqentsu said.
He said they noted with concern that despite the allegations against Poole, the DA elevated the disgraced former mayor and redeployed him to the provincial legislature as Member of the Provincial Legislature.
“The SACP rejects this redeployment and calls on the ANC-headed front in the Drakenstein municipality council to open a criminal case against Mr Poole.”
Ngqentsu also took a swipe at the recent State of the Province Address by Premier Alan Winde and the budget tabled by Finance MEC David Maynier.
He said both speeches were hallowed but bereft of any vision or developmental agenda for the province outside of delusional sloganeering.
“Both puppet leaders merely spouted deflection and diversionary schemes lamenting budget cuts in housing, education, and health, but this is the same government that has a long history of closing schools and hospitals.
“This is a government that continuously fails to spend nationally allocated funds for the delivery of housing projects and consequently returns funds back to the national fiscus.”
Ngqentsu accused the DA of using its tactics of blame-shifting, deflection and diversion of its glaring failures as somehow inadequacies of the national government to spawn a racist republic within the South African territory.
“Through the poorly conceived Provincial Powers Bill, the DA sought to usurp the powers of national government in violation of the constitutional framework. The people of the Western Cape were not fooled by this gimmick.
“The people remain steadfast and resolute in their disdain for the DA which is manifestly expressed in the resounding rejection of the so-called Provincial Powers Bill. The people rejected the bill which is simultaneously a rejection of the DA’s political agenda.”
Ngqentsu also said the SACP PEC expressed its deep shock at the latest developments surrounding the alleged kidnapping and or trafficking of 6-year-old Joslin Smith in Saldanha Bay.
“We are deeply concerned about our police investigative capacity in the province. It is our firm view that the persons of interest or prime suspects ought to have been identified immediately when the child was reported missing at the local police station.
“They would have been able to be on the trail of the suspects. Against this background, the SACP reiterates its call for the inquiry to probe the capacity of the SAPS to prevent, combat and investigate crimes in the country and Western Cape in particular,” he said.
The Mercury
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