During the Sopa debate, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) raised their view of the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), Cadre Deployment, and the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) projects as job creators. The three were viewed by the opposition to only benefit those who are within the African National Congress (ANC). Dukwana, in reply to those views, stated that if the challenges such as poverty and inequality are to be addressed, it is important to understand the history of the two challenges during apartheid and even before. “The opposition parties’ approach is that of ridiculing even undermining any attempt of intervention applied or implemented to deal with inequality, poverty and unemployment.”

ALSO READ: Free State government continues to fight unemployment

Dukwana said they [the ANC] are the first to accept that poor leadership and a lack of clarity and purpose, as well as corruption and poor management, have all contributed to exacerbating the challenges further. He explained that structural poverty has contributed immensely to the state of inequality, recognised in the world as being the highest. 

In his view, structural poverty is what the majority of the people in the country are facing. He explained this has been designed and executed deliberately to address the fears and anxieties of the white community over a long period of time. “This is the history they’ll want us to forget and they’ll do everything to undermine any effort geared towards addressing these three interlinked challenges. Structural poverty is the long-term fate of individuals or families, due to social circumstances beyond their control - a shortage of land, servitude, widespread unemployment, etc.”

ALSO READ: State of Free State roads at top of agenda

Dukwana made reference to what he called a study of the “Poor White Question”. He said some of the ways in which the problem of white poverty was addressed by politicians in the early decades of the 20th Century had direct, profound and lasting implications for black poverty. 

He further explained ways in which white poverty declined in the old days. A legislative package regulating the labour market to protect white workers from competition was mentioned. “Whites were guaranteed wages that enabled them to live a civilised life, a white standard of living,” he added. 

The second element he mentioned was an ambitious programme of public works, to create jobs for whites. “By 1933, about 59 000 poor whites were employed in various relief measures - irrigation schemes, road and dam building, and rail construction. By 1939, the central government employed 98 000 white workers, over half of whom were on relief work.”

ALSO READ: Maternity ward at Pelonomi to be completed in new financial year

In reply to Dukwana’s address, the leader of the FF Plus in the province, Armand Cloete, said Dukwana and his party are part of the ‘white poverty’ that he made so much mention of. “BEE is exactly the same as the ‘white poverty’ issue he made mention of, so he cannot say what was done previously was wrong, whereas his party is doing the exact same thing,” he explained. Cloete added that they [FF Plus] were hoping that Dukwana would address the real challenges that the province is facing, challenges such as poverty, water, the state of local government. “The real challenges were not addressed, he decided to make his response about race,” concluded Cloete. He previously said they [FF Plus] are very clear about the fact that contractors should be appointed based on skills and qualifications. “Skills and qualifications, not colour. And if the most skilled and qualified contractor is black, by all means, appoint that contractor. But not because he or she is black, but because he or she earns it according to their merit.”

ALSO READ: Free State Sopa’s wishlist to the Premier

He mentioned the principle of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), saying it must be changed to Triple C: The Cadre, the Contract, the Cash. 

Cloete explained during his debate that when a BEE contractor gets a road tender, but that contractor is not able to do the job, that contractor appoints the subcontractor, who will do the job for far less than the initial price. But then the subcontractor is not paid by the main contractor… He says that process will result in lawsuits upon lawsuits while roads are not being fixed. At the time of his debate, he also placed the flagship of the provincial department of Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation in the spotlight. “What happened with Macufe last year? Exactly what I just explained. Some ANC loyalist got the contract and the court deemed that contract illegal. So, don't dare say your policy of Black Economic Empowerment is benefiting black people. Macufe 2022 debunks that myth.”

ALSO READ: ’Contractors’ skills and qualifications are essential'

DA provincial leader, Roy Jankielsohn has labelled Dukwana’s address as proof that the ruling party has nothing to offer the people of the Free State. “Dukwana’s response to the Sopa debate was a regurgitation of former Premier Ace Magashule’s rhetoric.” Jankielsohn said Dukwana has opted for what he calls ‘an antagonistic race-based history lesson’, instead of dealing with pertinent issues relating to water, sanitation, roads, unemployment and other issues raised by opposition party members in the debate. “His 50-minute antagonistic race-based history lesson has positioned him at the outset of his term of office as a mixture of an Ace Mini-Me and Ramaphosa disappointment.”

ALSO READ: ‘Free State Sopa 2023 will be an unusual one’

He further stated that Dukwana’s reply contained no concrete plans to deal with the issues raised in the debate which proves that the ANC in the province is out of fresh ideas or plans of action to turn the province that is plagued by failed service delivery, life-threatening poor roads and poverty. Jankielsohn concluded that the DA will use the departmental budget debates to continue to highlight the issues facing our province and offer the people of the Free State a viable political alternative.

OFM News