Mr Speaker, the DA as the governing party in the Western Cape has miserably failed the citizens of this province. They come to Parliament bragging about the success they have achieved, claiming it is a good story. What nonsense! The Cape was developed a long time ago. The DA should not live on a perception. The great writer Charles Dickens said it brilliantly. Cape Town is a tale of two cities.
Of course, the plush suburbs of Constantia, Sea Point and Bishopscourt have a good story to tell. What about Manenberg, Khayelitsha, Hanover Park and Mitchells Plain? Can the DA honestly and sincerely say that they have delivered to those communities?
In four years of Premier Helen Zille's rule, crime, drugs and gangsterism have escalated. In just one year, between April 2011 and March 2012, there were 2 300 murders in Cape Town - more than in Johannesburg and Pretoria combined. Is this the good story the DA refers to?
Twenty percent of school learners in this province are using tik. In 2004 only 12 000 students were reported to be using the drug, yet in 2009, under the DA's rule, it increased to 69 000. What has the DA done to tackle these issues? Sending in more police, while necessary, cannot be the only solution to this problem. The DA's strategy is the same. Yes, indeed, they are in the business of hoodwinking and indoctrinating the masses into believing that they can solve their problems. Yet, in the four years that they have ruled, nothing has been done. The people in this province are worse off than they were four years ago. I thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
DA's INITIATIVE TO GET MEDICAL STUDENTS TRAINED AT WESTERN CAPE