The DA’s decision to nominate Alan Winde as its candidate for Western Cape premier in the 2024 general elections was a clear sign that the party was out of touch with the needs of the people of the province, according to the ANC.
The party branded Winde as the “weakest” premier the province has had, adding that the lives of ordinary people in the province have not improved.
DA leader John Steenhuisen announced Winde as the party’s premier candidate for the general elections on Saturday.
Steenhuisen said Winde is the leader who has kept the province moving forward even as the state collapses in other parts of South Africa.
“Over the past month, I have criss-crossed South Africa from Gauteng to the Free State and, just last week, the Northern Cape.
“For those of you lucky enough to call the Western Cape home, I can assure you that it is absolutely eye-opening to see the true state of the rest of our beloved country.
“Here, in the Western Cape, law and order reigns supreme and every single person is equal before the law. The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows that the Western Cape has by far the lowest unemployment rate in South Africa. The province is also investing R7 billion to become the first province in the country to end load shedding.
“That is why I am calling on Alan, on the provincial leadership, and on every single DA activist today, to intensify your efforts to register every single DA voter in this province,” he said.
Winde, who has been the premier of the Western Cape since 2019, said he was humbled by the nomination.
“The road we have travelled since 2019 has been challenging. The Covid-19 pandemic presented us all with many challenges but the DA-led Western Cape Government confronted the pandemic head-on and developed innovative solutions, such as building the biggest Covid-19 field hospital in Africa in just six weeks, and opening ‘Hospitals of Hope’ at Brackengate and in Mitchells Plain.
“We are investing heavily in infrastructure and partnering with the private sector to make the Western Cape South Africa’s first load-shedding-free province. There is a lot that we have achieved but there is still so much more that we must do for ... our citizens,” said Winde.
ANC provincial spokesperson Khalid Sayed said the DA’s decision to nominate Winde was a clear sign that the party was out of touch with the needs of the people of the province.
“During Winde’s tenure, the lives of ordinary people in the province have not improved.
“Poverty, unemployment and inequality are colour-conscious and have remained stubbornly high for the black majority.
“Winde’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic was shambolic. His government was slow to react to the crisis, and its policies left many people vulnerable and helpless.”
“By refusing to spend the grant from the National Government to relocate people from densely populated informal settlements, Winde’s government failed to protect the most vulnerable people in our society,” he said.
EFF provincial chairperson Unathi Ntame said Winde was the worst premier candidate for the DA.
“He has failed in many projects, including the Brackengate Hospital, which had a number of challenges. As a premier, the gap between the rich and poor has worsened. He didn't decrease unemployment, many young people in black and coloured constituencies are still unemployed. He has also failed to deliver basic services to all the predominantly African and Coloured areas of the Western Cape,” Ntame said.
Cape Times