Mr Manuel De Freitas (DA)

defreitas

What is your political background? I have been involved in politics for over 20 years. I got involved as a volunteer for the Democratic Party (DP) leading up to the 1994 elections. In 1995 when the first democratic local government elections were to take place, the DP branch I belonged ...

SONA: Go for the Big Five, President Zuma, you have nothing to lose

By Judith February.

The President should focus on the multi-dimensional nature of South Africa’s crisis: from the economy, to racial polarisation, securitisation of the state, dysfunction and maladministration at local government, the problems are easily identifiable. The SONA should be easy to write. Go for the Big Five, and you’re ...

Parliamentary oversight: Few consequences

By Troye Lund

PUBLIC protector Thuli Madonsela’s revelations of widespread corruption, nepotism and maladministration at the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) did not come as a surprise to members of parliament who are charged with overseeing the state entity.

In 2013 the auditor-general (AG) was warning MPs on parliamentary ...

LiveMagSA: Will we ever get free education?

By Sheilan Clarke

Imagine a world where you don’t have to pay for school, fork out a fortune to get an education or stand in long queues at NSFAS for a bursary. Well that might be a possibility as government is reportedly aiming to roll out free education for tertiary ...

The Week Ahead: Infrastructure theft, the Dalai Lama, and the abuse of older persons

President Zuma’s annual address to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) is expected to steal the limelight this week. The theme for this year’s event is “Celebrating 20 years of a Democratic Parliament – together moving the NCOP forward as a vanguard of the interests of provinces”. Another story ...

Zuma’s new cabinet: Opposition MP weighs in

Much has been said about President Zuma’s newly appointed Cabinet throughout the course of this week, including our interview with political commentator Aubrey Matshiqi and our impressions on the relationship between Cabinet and Parliament (here and here) - but what do opposition party members think?

People’s Assembly interviewed ...

Nkandla Committee meets: Day 2

Yesterday, 28 April, saw day two of the Ad Hoc Committee meeting to discuss the President’s submissions in response to the Public Protector’s report. The DA’s Lindiwe Mazibuko addressed a letter to the Committee proposing a way forward that would see people being called in to give evidence to the ...

Interventions since 2009: NCOP releases list

Since July 2009, the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has reviewed and in some cases, either approved or rejected, interventions in six district municipalities, 30 local municipalities, and six provincial departments (one in the Eastern Cape and five in Limpopo), according to Parliament. Most of the interventions were as ...

Police Portfolio Committee endorse McBride for IPID head

In front of a committee meeting packed with members of the public, think tanks, NGOs and the media on Wednesday, the Portfolio Committee on Police voted 7-3 in support of Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s controversial nomination of former Ekhuruleni Metro Police Chief Robert Robert McBride to head up the Independent ...