Thursday, 16 July 2020] 51

No 12 - 2020] SECOND SESSION, SIXTH PARLIAMENT

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OF THE PARLIAMENT OF THE PROVINCE OF THE WESTERN CAPE

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THURSDAY, 16 JULY 2020

1. The House met at 14:15.

2. The Deputy Speaker took the Chair and read the prayer.

3. [14:20] The Deputy Speaker made a general announcement regarding the sitting of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in accordance with Rule 1A of the Standing Rules pertaining to Members in remote attendance by electronic means.

4. [14:32] Interpellations

5. [15:24] Questions.

6. [16:12] Statements by Members.

7. [16:38] Response to statements by Members by Ms D Schäfer, Minister of Education.

8. [16:40] Motions with Notice

9. [16:46] Mr F C Christians moved without notice: That the House notes and wants to emphasise today the unsung heroes who are not seen – yes, we give honour to the medical professionals and all the essential workers, but the workers we want to highlight today as the real unsung heroes are the cleaners and porters – and, referring to a recent article which highlighted these unsung heroes whose daily sacrifices have not recognised, who play a pivotal role in contributing to the stemming of the COVID- 19 disease now reaching its peak, such as the cleaners who get up in the early morning to keep the hospitals clean and the porters who move patients, equipment and numerous other pieces of medical equipment between the various areas of a hospital to ensure that hospitals run smoothly; and further honours our cleaners and hospital porters who work long hours and who are putting their lives at risk in doing so.

Agreed to.

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10. Mr G Brinkhuis moved without notice: That the House wishes a speedy recovery with his battle against COVID-19; trusts that the Premier is resting well and that his health is improving; trusts that the Almighty will grant him the strength and a full recovery; prays for his family’s health and that they remain strong during his battle against the disease; hopes and prays that all South Africans and people throughout the world affected by this disease will recover fully, as well from the economic losses; and remains strong socially and mentally to continue to steer the province during these challenging times.

Agreed to.

11. Ms N Makamba-Botya moved without notice: That the House notes with sadness the untimely and unexpected passing away of the struggle icon and youth activist Mama Zindzi Mandela; further notes that her passing away has deprived our nation of an activist for liberation and democracy, who would have loved to see the resources of this country be shared evenly among the majority of our people; we acknowledge her bravery and courage to speak the truth to power, which was shaped by the very injustice she received at the hands of the apartheid regime; born from the hero and heroine, Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, each act of victimisation and oppression the apartheid regime exerted on her parents was the pain she had to bear and endure; she refused to be simply the daughter of Africa’s most powerful revolutionary and political couple, and took on a political and revolutionary identity of her own by speaking openly, courageously and inspiringly against the apartheid regime and all its murderous activities – who will forget her act of bravery when she took a centre stage in 1985 at the Johannesburg Jabulani Amphitheatre to deliver Nelson Mandela’s message to PW Botha and inspire the masses in the process; acknowledges that we must learn and emulate the bravery and selflessness demonstrated by the struggle icon Mama Zindzi Mandela; and conveys our condolences to her sister Zenani, her children and the rest of the Madikizela and Mandela families. Lala ngo xolo Madlomo (rest in peace, my mother).

Agreed to.

12. Mr P J Marais moved without notice: That the House resolves and requests the Health and Social Development ministerial cluster to launch a campaign whereby people are tested for diabetes and warned of its dangers as the second largest cause of the high death rate among COVID-19-infected people, as reported yesterday by Dr Keith Cloete, Head of the Department of Health in the Western Cape; and investigates the availability and supply of chronic medication at all state health facilities in the Western Cape and that the results be reported to this House by the relevant Ministers, especially the Minister of Health, to lower the high death rate among COVID-19-infected people.

Agreed to.

13. Ms M M Wenger moved without notice: That the House extends its deepest condolences to the Mandela and Madikizela families on the passing away of Zindziswa “Zindzi” Nobutho Mandela; notes that our nation will never forget the bravery of Zindzi in reading her father’s letter before the entire country when the apartheid government’s conditional release of the late Nelson Mandela was rejected; and further notes Zindzi Mandela’s contribution as an activist, poet and ambassador for the country, and that we are all the poorer because of this loss.

Agreed to. 53

14. Ms A Bans moved without notice: That the House notes that COVID-19 spares no-one and claims the lives of professional people, such as judges, celebrities, heroes and sport stars, and workers alike; also notes the tragic death of another Cape Town medical doctor, the well-known Dr Ibrahim Khan who had his practice in Salt River and treated many of his patients for free; further notes the 70-year-old died in a high care unit on Monday; and sends condolences to all his family and friends.

Agreed to.

15. Mr G Bosman moved without notice: That the House extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the late Member of Parliament, Thandi Mpambo- Sibhukwana; notes that Thandi was an outstanding public servant with a sincere conviction for the upliftment of all South Africans; notes that she tirelessly served at both the NCOP and most recently the National Assembly; notes that Thandi will be remembered for her active fight against poverty, inequality, her determination to see the housing backlog eliminated, and her deep compassion for persons with disabilities; and further extends condolences to the constituents of Saldanha, Drakenstein and Oostenberg South, all of whom Thandi served with great care during her time as a public representative.

Agreed to.

16. Mr D America moved without notice: That the House extends its sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones of the late Langeberg Mayor, Henry Jansen; notes that Mayor Henry Jansen was a valued public representative for many years, most recently taking his position as Mayor in 2016; notes that Mayor Henry Jansen passed away on 14 July 2020; and our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.

Agreed to.

17. Mr M K Sayed moved without notice: That the House notes the serious structural damage to schools caused by the recent storm at the Nomzamo High School in Strand and Prince Alfred Hamlet’s St Mark’s Primary School; calls on the WCED to effect repairs to these schools urgently; and requests the WCED to erect permanent structures in Strand instead of just replacing the many damaged and unsafe temporary structures, which have been there for far too long because calls for permanent buildings have been ignored for years.

Agreed to.

18. Ms L J Botha moved without notice: That the House extends our sincere condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the teachers and staff members in the Western Cape who have lost their lives at this time; and notes their dedication to teaching learners and their invaluable service to communities.

Agreed to.

19. Mr D Smith moved without notice: That the House notes that no child must be refused access or be send home alone if they come to school without a face mask; requests that poor learners especially must be assisted in a way in which their education is not interrupted; and notes that this instruction comes from Minister Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma after a Grade 7 learner was turned away by her KZN school and raped.

Agreed to. 54

20. Ms W F Philander moved without notice: That the House extends our since condolence to healthcare workers who have lost their lives to COVID-19 while working on the frontlines and serving patients; notes that their dedicated and brave service to the people in our province, especially in the light of the severity of this pandemic, will long remember; and our thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones, friends and colleagues.

Agreed to.

21. Ms N Bakabaku-Vos moved without notice: That the House notes the death of Shaik Seraj Hendricks who succumbed to COVID-19 a week ago; also notes that the 64-year- old Hendricks was a revered Islamic scholar and imam at the Azzawia mosque and institute in Cape Town’s Walmer Estate; and sends condolences to his family and friends.

Agreed to.

22. Mr R I Allen moved without notice: That the House extends its deepest condolences to the family of Gaylin Cupido who was killed by a stray bullet in Kraaifontein on Saturday 11 July 2020; and notes that another innocent life has been lost due to ongoing gang violence in our province.

Agreed to.

23. Mr M K Sayed moved without notice: That the House notes that up to 20 schools per day in the Western Cape are closed due to COVID-19-related problems; notes that not a day goes by without another person falling ill; also notes that almost 100 members of staff and 2 000 learners have been infected according to WCED figures; and calls on the WCED to proceed with extreme caution and care with a view to protect the health and safety of every learner entrusted to them as the pandemic reaches new heights.

Agreed to.

24. Mr A P van der Westhuizen moved without notice: That the House sends its sincerest condolences to Mr Albert Fritz, Minister of Community Safety, on the passing away of his sister, Maria Fritz, on Monday, 13 July 2020; notes that this follows the recent passing away of Minister Fritz’s mother; wishes Minister Fritz and his family the strength and courage to deal with these losses at such a difficult time; and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones.

Agreed to.

25. Mr R I Allen moved without notice: That the House notes the removal of Bulelani Qholani from his home in Khayelitsha and the subsequent investigation that is underway; condemns all forms of police brutality, the violation of human rights and dignity and violent protests that threaten life or property or vandalise municipal assets; and further condemns the actions of those who profit from the sale of illegally invaded land and who instigate land invasions and protests to protect vested and criminal financial interests.

Agreed to.

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26. Ms A Bans moved without notice: That the House notes the passing away of Estelle Mouton and sends condolences to her sister Brenda Leonard, boss of the radio station Bush Radio of Mitchells Plain, their family, friends and comrades.

Agreed to.

27. Mr R D Mackenzie moved without notice: That the House wishes Premier Alan Winde of the Western Cape a speedy and full recovery after testing positive for COVID-19; thanks the Premier for his leadership in fighting the pandemic in the province; further wishes , , , Premier of , Rachel Windvogel, Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, and all other affected public representatives who have tested positive for COVID-19 a speedy and full recovery; thanks healthcare workers sincerely for their continued fight on the frontlines; wishes those who are infected a speedy recovery; and extends condolences to the families who have been hit the hardest by loss of lives due to the virus.

Agreed to.

28. Ms N Bakabaku-Vos moved without notice: That the House notes that a scientific case study of more than 60 000 COVID-19 survivors in Spain has brought into serious doubt the DA-supported theory of building a herd immunity in a population, as only a mere 5% of that population who recovered produced any antibodies to the killer coronavirus; also notes that this follows hot on the heels of proof that even unborn and newly born babies can test positive for the coronavirus; and notes that many more young children die of the disease and may develop worse paediatric complications or re-infection, which puts another nail in the DA coffin of pet theories that children do not need to get a serious COVID-19 response.

Agreed to.

29. Mr L L Mvimbi moved without notice: That the House commiserates with the family, friends and comrades of Mark Jansen, Western Cape Director of Transport Safety Management, who succumbed to a COVID-19-related disease.

Agreed to.

30. Mr R Allen moved without notice: That the House notes and celebrates Mandela Day, which takes place this Saturday, 18 July; notes that Mandela Day is celebrated by providing 67 minutes of service towards others; and moves to encourages all residents to participate actively in helping others at this time, while keeping the golden hygiene rules and social distancing in mind at all times.

Agreed to.

31. Mr G Bosman moved without notice: That the House notes that July is Psycho-Social Disability Awareness Month; and notes that the month is an opportunity to reflect on the impact of the current pandemic on those suffering from mental health challenges and a reminder to us all to do our utmost to care for affected family members and loved ones who face depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses.

Agreed to.

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32. Ms P Z Lekker moved without notice: That the House notes with sadness the death of Zindzi Mandela, our 59-year-old Denmark ambassador, just a few days before the world celebrates Mandela Day on Saturday in commemoration on her late father’s birthday; notes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s remarks on this daughter of the father of our nation and the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela that princess Zindzi was a fearless political activist and leader in her own right; and notes that her son Zodwa revealed to SABC that she tested positive for COVID-19.

Agreed to.

33. Ms D M Baartman moved without notice: That the House notes that the Laingsburg High School has been approved by the Western Cape Department of Education as a no- fee school and that it will be receiving a public Wi-Fi point, which will not only benefit the learners but also the surrounding communities; further notes that the Western Cape Department of Education has approved the installation of 10 new smart classrooms at the Acacia Primary School and this installation will include 10 laptops, 10 e- whiteboards, 10 e-beams and 5 e-readers for interactive digital learning; also notes that the Department of the Premier is installing a public Wi-Fi point at this primary school, which means that learners, teachers and surrounding community members can access 3 GB per device per month for free; and thanks the Western Cape Department of the Premier and the Department of Education for helping our children and our rural communities to move into the digital age.

Agreed to.

34. Mr C M Dugmore moved without notice: That the House notes that the government’s Solidarity Fund has allocated more than R4 million to upgrade public hospitals in the three COVID-19 hotspots, namely the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng.

Agreed to.

35. Ms N Bakabaku-Vos moved without notice: That the House notes the brave attempt by Yusuf Kiriboto who jumped into a strong-flowing stormwater canal in the Athlone informal settlement of Vygieskraal a week ago while trying to save the 8-year-old Abieda Paulse; and notes that both are missing and have presumably drowned.

Agreed to.

36. Mr R I Allen moved without notice: That the House welcomes the new intake of students at the Chrysalis Academy on Saturday 11 July 2020 after the lockdown; wishes each of the enrolled students well on their 10-week journey at the academy; and notes the 20 years of existence of the academy and the life-changing effects that it has had on young lives in our province.

Agreed to.

37. Ms P Z Lekker moved without notice: That the House commends the SAPS for arresting and taking to court another two young male murder suspects, both aged 19 years; and notes that these suspects are linked to an attack last month’s that claimed five lives in Philippi East.

Agreed to.

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38. Ms D M Baartman moved without notice: That the House welcomes the announcement of the newly launched Western Cape Tourism Product Development Fund by the provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism; recognises that the initiative pledges a total of R5 million to both current and new tourism products in the province; notes that the funding initiative which will be utilised for tourism-related activities since this is one of the industries on which the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact; further notes that the aim of this fund is to ensure that adequate support is provided for the establishment and promotion of sustainable tourism in the Western Cape, as we find ourselves in times that require incredible innovation and creativity; also notes that the national Minister of Tourism and the Presidency have backtracked on regulations which would have allowed a much larger part of the leisure tourism industry to operate safely; and calls upon the national Minister of Tourism to announce a comprehensive tourism relief package for the tourism sector as a whole and to gazette regulations to open up leisure accommodation.

Agreed to.

39. Mr C M Dugmore moved without notice: That the House commiserates with the family, friends and comrades of Siyabulela Siswana (44), the SACP’s Brian Bunting regional secretary, and his 6-year-old daughter, Banele, who were murdered in a hail of bullets in a hit at his Mfuleni house in which his wife, Nokwanda, was seriously wounded by gunshots; and wishes her a speedy recovery.

Agreed to.

40. Ms L M Maseko moved without notice: That the House condemns in the strongest possible terms the intimidation of housing beneficiaries; notes that on 7 July 2020 a group of disruptive community members from the Joe Slovo informal settlement in Langa blocked 56 other residents from the opportunity to move to their homes in Forest Village; further notes that some of those who were about to move were two disabled people, of whom one is 62-year-old, while there are also a 63- and 71-year-old in this group; further notes that criminal acts that incite violence and endanger innocent residents will not be allowed; and requests the South African Police Service to conduct a full investigation into the violent and criminal acts to ensure that those responsible face the full might of the law.

Agreed to.

41. Ms N Bakabaku-Vos moved without notice: That the House notes that the communities of Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain are still searching for Lulamandla Sithonga, a learner who got into a taxi to the Eastville Primary School a week ago but never arrived there.

Agreed to.

42. Mr R D Mackenzie moved without notice: That the House extends its gratitude to the Dutch Consulate for donating 530 food parcels to people in the Mitchells Plain area; further welcomes their commitment, along with Runs4School in the Netherlands, to helping families in need and people who have to cope with reduced incomes during this time; and extends its gratitude to Yebo Fresh, a local retailer, for initiating these food drives.

Agreed to. 58

43. Mr M Kama moved without notice: That the House urges the SAPS to speed up the murder investigation after a George couple, 26-year-old Amorei Vermaak and 31-year- old Stephen Fleck, was found with gunshot wounds in a Bergsig house on Friday.

Agreed to.

44. Ms D M Baartman moved without notice: That the House notes that Stellenbosch is the first African destination to be awarded the “Safe Travels Stamp” during the COVID-19 pandemic by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC); further notes that the WTCC works with private-sector tourism in 185 countries and has developed world- class protocols for adoption by municipalities, tourism bodies and other establishments at this time; also notes that the accreditation for the “Safe Travels Stamp” requires adherence to stringent hygiene and safety protocols and an application process to the WTTC is followed in which applicants must demonstrate health and safety processes, staff training, flexibility in reservation terms and compliance with “new normal” guidelines from the global body; and congratulates the Stellenbosch Municipality on this achievement.

Agreed to.

45. The House adjourned at 17:30.

ROMEO ADAMS Secretary to the Provincial Parliament