When the Moon-Shot Pact was announced, the ACDP expressed its concerns, one of which was the lack of consultation with other opposition parties. Nonetheless, we attended the Pact meetings as observers, making it clear from the outset that, in our opinion, any coalition agreements prior to an election, would not only be premature, but also presumptuous.

The ACDP views the decision by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa to label Israel an ‘Apartheid State’ as shocking, shortsighted, and disappointing. “Archbishop Thabo Mokgoba knows that the Church is given a ministry of reconciliation, and thus, to be a credible facilitator of reconciliation, one has to be objective and not take sides with any of the parties in conflict.”

The ACDP says that the City of Cape Town and Cape Winelands municipalities must properly attend to the concerns and challenges of communities in the Helderberg who were seriously affected by the recent flooding with urgency.

The ACDP wishes to convey their heartfelt condolences to the family, particularly the children and grandchildren, of the late Founder of the KwaSizabantu Mission, the Reverend Erlo Stegen, who passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 88. His passing leaves a great void. We have lost a ‘giant’ and an Apostle in the Faith.

The ACDP has rejected the adoption of the BELA Bill in a meeting of Parliament’s PC on Basic Education. It is our contention that this legislation fails to address the necessary reform needed in education. The Bill is a patch job that creates more jobs for bureaucrats that will not necessarily address the needs of children – especially children in rural areas and towns whose small schools are under threat of closure.

The ACDP notes with serious concern the developments in the Namakhoi Municipality where a joint operation, earlier this week, between the Department of Home Affairs and the South African Police Service saw hundreds of illegal foreign miners removed from the Kleinsee area.

Ultimately the buck stops with the executive, and they must hold officials accountable who fail to do their job. The poor implementation of Service Level Agreements, ineffective procurement and contract management is at the heart of these monumental failures.

Ultimately the buck stops with the executive, and they must hold officials accountable who fail to do their job. The poor implementation of service level agreements, ineffective procurement and contract management is at the heart of these monumental failures.

Unless we are serious about compliance and adherence to due process as Members of Parliament, there will continue to be adverse judgements against parliament. We are not to rubber stamp the law as proposed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) or the Executive.

Shenge will be sorely missed not only by the Family of Buthelezi, but also by the people of South Africa. May the Lord strengthen the Buthelezi family, and all those mourning Prince Buthelezi’s passing, during this time of bereavement.

It is our duty to ensure that as lawmakers we give due regard to their voices, and that of every other South African who made oral and written submissions on the Bill.

It is the view of the ACDP that the findings of SARS and the SARB lends credence to the now established hypothesis, that some people are more equal than others. The message this sends to the South African public is that No.1 must be protected at all costs.