The government must bridge the gap between the private and the public
health care sectors to create quality of care which all can access
COMPENSATION FUND IS FAILING THOUSANDS
According to the AG, the extent of the mismanagement of the CF ranged
from a complete breakdown of internal controls and a filing system in
complete disarray, to non-compliance with applicable legislation.
DEFENCE DEPARTMENT UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
South Africa's defence sector should be subjected to rigorous scrutiny
in all respects, in light of its recent infringements of legislation.
ZAPIRO CARTOON SHOULD SHOCK THE RULING PARTY TO ITS SENSES
A metaphorical depiction that tells the truth and provokes argument
may be just what South Africa needs at this critical juncture.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
The judgment also provides proof to Zuma's supporters, if any were
necessary, that the judiciary is impartial and will rule according to
the law. It is now incumbent upon them to demonstrate their respect
for the judiciary when judgments go against their political
preferences. If Zuma has his day in court, as we believe he must in
the interests of the country, his supporters will have no reason to
believe that he won't have a fair trial.
DA Leader Helen Zille comments on the Pietermartizburg High Court's
verdict set aside the decision to prosecute Jacob Zuma on fraud and
corruption charges on a technicality, saying nthat the rule of law
must be respected, in her weekly newsletter SA Today -
http://www.da.org.za/?p=357
MAKE QUALITY HEALTH CARE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL
The government must bridge the gap between the private and the public
health care sectors to create quality of care which all can access,
Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said last Tuesday.
"Our health care system works well for some. Most South Africans are
excluded from it. Most people still rely on the public health system,"
Zille told the party's New Vision for Health Care conference in
Johannesburg.
She criticised Cosatu secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi's
recommendation to do away with the private health system.
"Nationalising health care would be disastrous, because it would shift
the burden of provision of quality health care to the state," she
said.
The state was incapable of providing quality health care for all, she said.
Zille also voiced her concern about the National Health Amendment Bill
- which would give Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang the power
to determine private sector hospital fees.
"This would lead to a further loss of skills. Private health providers
would close their doors... shrinking the private sector and placing an
even greater burden on an already incapacitated public health care
sector," she said.
She recommended that the government only be involved in the financing
of health care and not in service delivery, adding that this would
allow market forces to ensure efficiency and keep down costs.
Examples of this were the Canadian, Singaporean and Taiwanese health
care systems, said Zille.
"We need to find a working solution that would allow private providers
to earn a living while the state meets its obligation to its people."
She said reforming the health care system would mean fixing what was
not working without destroying what did work.
Read the full speech here >> http://www.da.org.za/?p=213
COMPENSATION FUND IS FAILING THOUSANDS
The Democratic Alliance last Monday called for a forensic
investigation of the Compensation Fund (CF) and for the fund to be put
out to tender.
The latest disclaimer by the Auditor-General in his report on the CF
tabled in parliament, confirmed the evidence of complaints to the DA
that the fund was in serious disarray, DA labour spokesperson Anchen
Dreyer said.
According to the AG, the extent of the mismanagement of the CF ranged
from a complete breakdown of internal controls and a filing system in
complete disarray, to non-compliance with applicable legislation.
The CF was supposed to assist employees who had had the misfortune of
contracting an occupational disease or suffering an injury while on
duty.
The neglect and mismanagement of this fund caused direct harm to
ordinary South African workers, especially those who could not afford
private sector disability insurance and were therefore most
vulnerable.
Dreyer said complaints received by the DA indicated it was not only
individual claimants who were disgruntled with the CF and service
providers had also not been spared.
Some medical practitioners had resorted to demanding cash upfront from
employers of injured staff, while others were flatly refusing to treat
CF patients to avoid the risk of late payment or no payment at all.
Common among the complainants was a poor track record of payment. One
legal consultant highlighted an unresolved case dating back as far as
1994.
Generally, those lucky enough to receive payment had to wait for at
least a year to get their first instalment.
Particularly worrisome was the lack of political will the labour
minister had displayed in this regard, and the absence of purposeful
action to resolve the fund's long-standing problems.
In 2005, the CF strategy 2006-2009 was introduced to improve customer
satisfaction through service and efficiency.
"Two and a half years down the line little has changed," Dreyer said.
"The time has come for the department to undertake a forensic
investigation of the Compensation Fund.
"The Commissioner and his top staff must be held accountable for
letting down vulnerable workers in this way.
"The DA further contends that the Compensation Fund should be put out
to tender. Let the best bidder run it in a professional manner, to the
benefit of injured and sick South African workers," she said.
DEFENCE DEPARTMENT UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
South Africa's defence sector should be subjected to rigorous scrutiny
in all respects, in light of its recent infringements of legislation
said the Democratic Alliance last Wednesday.
"Given the recent debacle in April 2008 in which the NCACC, in
contravention of the rules that bind it, permitted a Chinese weapons
shipment bound for Zimbabwe to be conveyed across South Africa, it is
Vital that all its transactions are shown to be transparent and open,"
said DA defence spokesperson, Rafeek Shah.
It appeared that there were serious unresolved issues regarding
defence industry interests held by senior defence force members, which
served to undermine civilian oversight of the defence force.
The Auditor-General (A-G) had previously found that the current Acting
Secretary for Defence, Mr Tsepe Motumi, was named as a director in
Chancellor House Defence Dynamics, which is part of the Chancellor
House Group, the front company for the ANC.
"Given Mr Motumi's high ranking position in the Department of Defence,
such alleged vested interests in the defence sector are highly
inappropriate."
"If the allegations are true, it means that specific business
interests are in a position to benefit from inside information, and if
these business interests are associated with political parties – and
the ruling party in particular - it has serious implications for good
governance in our country," said Shah.
As early as August 2007, the AG had stated in his report that the
potential for a conflict of interests existed within the department
and had called for action to address this on the part of the NCACC.
"The Democratic Alliance calls upon the Minister of Defence to confirm
whether or not these allegations are true and, if so, how such a
situation could have been allowed to occur," Shah said.
He said that the DA had submitted parliamentary questions to gain
clarity on the situation and would pursue it within the Defence
Portfolio Committee to ensure that all members of the DoD declared
their interests openly and completely.
"Clear measures must be taken to ensure that state information is not
used to further personal and political interests," he stated.
ZAPIRO CARTOON SHOULD SHOCK THE RULING PARTY TO ITS SENSES
Reacting to the controversy that sprang up over a cartoon by Jonathan
Shapiro (Zapiro), depicting the "rape of justice" by ANC president
Jacob Zuma, the Democratic Alliance said that neither Shapiro nor the
Sunday Times was practising abuse of the freedom of expression in
creating or publishing the cartoon.
"A metaphorical depiction that tells the truth and provokes argument
may be just what South Africa needs at this critical juncture. It may
also be what is needed to shock the country's leaders into their
senses," said party communications spokesperson, Dene Smuts.
"The Constitutional Court has confirmed in different judgments that
free speech includes ideas that shock or disturb, and that the
arbitration of taste cannot form part of adjudication."
"The truly shocking fact is that the ANC's new rulers – effectively
the SACP, ANC Youth League and Cosatu – have been attacking the
constitutional order at its foundation for many months now - by
calling the chief justices counter-revolutionary (Mr Gwede Mantashe);
issuing a threat that a ruling against Jacob Zuma would 'take the
country to the brink' (Blade Nzimande); and mounting demonstrations
against the courts," she said.
DID YOU KNOW?
The South African Social Security Agency's (SASSA) annual report
released last week, revealed a startling vacancy rate at the agency,
meaning that its capacity to deliver comprehensive social security
services to South Africa's poorest and most vulnerable citizens could
be seriously compromised.
The report shows that SASSA has an overall vacancy rate of 58.7% with
vacancies highly concentrated in critical areas, for instance:
• Out of 10 475 posts of permanent skilled workers only 4 323
vacancies were filled. This is a 58.7 percent vacancy rate.
• The vacancy rate of permanent highly skilled employees stands at
64.5 percent (out of 5341 posts only 1896 were filled).
• The vacancy rate at senior management and supervisory (highly
skilled) level is 32.6 and 57.7 percent respectively.
• To compound this situation, the finance department tasked with
detecting social grant fraud also has an alarming vacancy rate of 49.2
percent - out of 366 vacancies only 186 are filled and the legal
department which must initiate legal proceedings against fraudsters is
51.4 percent vacant.
With the high level of social grant fraud and the agency's incapacity
to deal with this, it comes as no surprise that SASSA has overspent by
R 33 659 000.
CAMERAS GO UP IN BID TO WEED OUT BAD COPS
http://www.eyeoncrime.co.za/?q=node/432
KNOW YOUR ENEMY
http://www.eyeoncrime.co.za/?q=node/431
ROBBERS TARGETING OUR HOMES – AND COMING IN ARMED
http://www.eyeoncrime.co.za/?q=node/430
DO WE FIGHT BACK? APPARENTLY NOT!
http://www.eyeoncrime.co.za/?q=node/429
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