Mr Speaker, last Wednesday, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe told this House that where jobs on community projects were handed out to ANC members only, he would intervene. The next morning at 9 o'clock, I delivered a letter to his office explaining a situation in my constituency in Protea South in Soweto and asking him for help. That community is in conflict because a road-upgrading project initiated by the DA proportional representative councillor has been hijacked by the ANC ward councillor, who is giving jobs to card-carrying ANC members only. [Interjections.] One DA member who applied for a job was told by the ANC councillor, "Go and ask Helen Zille." Everyone deserves a fair chance of obtaining work opportunities in community projects. Political affiliation should not be a consideration.
It's been almost a week since I delivered my letter and still no response from the Deputy President. Will the Deputy President intervene to ensure an impartial process in Protea South and follow that up with instructions to his party across the country to treat all the people equally, rather than just hand out patronage, or will the Deputy President ignore my request?
The ruling party would have us believe that we have achieved government by the people, for the people, but the available evidence shows merely government by cronies, for cronies. [Applause.]