Cape Town - Members of the standing committee on the premier and constitutional matters, led by committee chairperson Riccardo Mackenzie (DA), yesterday gave Premier Alan Winde a hard time on his recovery plan, questioning when it was meant to start and what exactly it plans to deliver.
During a presentation to the committee by various provincial government officials, the department of the premier put forward the Western Cape Economic Recovery Plan and promised a number of objectives would be delivered in 100 days.
Mackenzie said: “I see you have a 100-day delivery plan there and I hope it’s from today and includes Christmas and New Year because I put down the first week in March as the time when we need to hold you accountable for the delivery plan.”
There was no starting date for the delivery plan, he said.
The leader of the provincial opposition, Cameron Dugmore (ANC), said: “Clearly what we have isn’t a plan. The announcements made by the premier were thin on detail, even though today we had hoped to actually get a plan.”
Committee member Peter Marais (Freedom Front Plus) dismissed the plan as “an academic exercise” and said it reminded him of his university days.
Marais said: “Infrastructure is the first thing they run to when they say they must create jobs. That’s old news. But they never say what this infrastructure will be. Is it going to be a dam, a hospital, schools, a new airport or even a new city? We never hear exactly what the plan is.”
Earlier Winde gave members an insight into the provincial Covid-19 infection rate and said: “I’ve been watching the numbers in our hospitals which have been plateauing since July but now suddenly the numbers are starting to climb. When Dr Keith Cloete prepared his presentation for the cabinet on Monday night we had 850 patients in hospital, by the time he presented to cabinet on Tuesday morning there were 902.”
“Citizens are sick and tired of doing the right thing, they are no longer wearing masks or social distancing and we’ve got to make sure that they do as we cannot afford for this virus to come again,” said Winde.
Cape Argus