Faiez Jacobs
Premier Alan Winde’s 2025 State of the Province Address (SOPA), delivered in Beaufort West, was filled with grand rhetoric, selective statistics, and the usual Democratic Alliance (DA) trick of selling failure as success.
Once again, Winde and his government chose to pat themselves on the back while failing to acknowledge the deep structural crises that continue to marginalize the majority of Western Cape residents.
Let us expose the DA’s failures and tell our own story – one that the Premier refuses to acknowledge.
The DA does not care: The housing crisis and R1 billion returned
Over 300,000 people remain on the housing waiting list in the Western Cape. Many of them have been waiting for decades, yet the DA proudly boasts about their "infrastructure investments" while failing to provide the most basic need – a roof over people’s heads.
- In the 2022/23 financial year, the DA government returned R1 billion to the National Treasury – funds meant for housing and development.
- This money could have built thousands of homes, yet the DA chose to return the funds rather than use them for the people.
- Waar’s die huise? Where are the homes for the people of Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Bonteheuwel, Atlantis, and the Cape Flats?
Winde conveniently ignored the housing backlog in his SOPA. Instead of solutions, he offered excuses and cherry-picked infrastructure projects that serve only a privileged few.
DA’s failure to address Cape Flats crime: 3,000 murders and counting
Winde brags about 12,000 arrests under the LEAP program, but arrests do not equal convictions or safer communities. Over 3,000 murders were recorded in the Western Cape in 2024, and most of them occurred in marginalized communities like Delft, Manenberg, Hanover Park, and Nyanga.
What has the DA achieved?
- Underfunded the Western Cape Police Service, blaming everything on the national government instead of using provincial funds to fill critical gaps.
- Failed to dismantle gangsterism that continues to terrorize our people while maintaining a cosy relationship with private security companies.
- Ignored gender-based violence, offering no real strategy to tackle abuse and femicide in our townships.
Winde’s SOPA offers no real plan to tackle crime in poor communities. Instead, he offers empty statements while our people live in fear every single day.
Public transport crisis: Trains gone, taxi industry under pressure, buses failing
The Premier spoke about the Go George Bus Service's expansion, but let’s talk about the majority of the Western Cape who rely on broken public transport systems:
- MetroRail is dead. The train system that once served the working class has collapsed under DA mismanagement. Instead of fixing it, Winde blames PRASA for failing to implement provincial-level solutions.
- The Taxi industry is under pressure. The DA has made it harder for taxi operators to work while favouring elite transport solutions like MyCiTi, which is still not available in areas like Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, and Gugulethu.
- MyCiTi Bus Expansion = A Lie. The DA has been promising a Phase Two expansion of MyCiTi since 2014, but ten years later, the majority of working-class areas have no access to this service.
Winde’s SOPA talks about ‘revitalizing’ rail services. The reality? The DA has been in power for nearly two decades, and our train system is worse than ever.
Energy security: Who really benefits?
Winde proudly stated that the province has unlocked 2,000 MW of new energy development with a target of 5,700 MW by 2035. But who benefits from this?
- Privileged areas get uninterrupted power, while townships still suffer from longer, more frequent load-shedding.
- Renewable energy solutions are being privatized, meaning only those who can afford solar panels will benefit.
- The DA government has failed to deliver free basic electricity to thousands of indigent households who qualify under national policy.
The DA’s energy plans do not prioritize the poor. They only work for businesses and the wealthy.
Education inequality: Matric pass rate does not translate into equal opportunities
Winde celebrated an 86.6% matric pass rate, but the real story lies in who benefits from education in the Western Cape:
- Wealthier, former Model-C and private schools thrive, while township schools remain under-resourced.
- Dropout rates are rising. Many learners don’t even make it to matric because of lack of transport, gang violence, and socioeconomic hardships.
- Where are the new schools? The Premier failed to mention that many children still learn in overcrowded classrooms and unsafe school buildings.
Die kinders van die Kaapse Vlakte en die platteland word steeds afgeskeep. The DA prioritizes elite schools while township learners struggle with a two-tier education system.
Fiscal mismanagement: Where is the money going to?
Winde spoke about alternative funding approaches, but let’s break down how the DA government has failed to deliver real economic justice:
- R1 billion in returned funds (Housing Budget).
- Underspending on healthcare. Clinics and hospitals remain overcrowded, but the DA government underspends on public health.
- Overfunding private interests. DA-run municipalities continue to favour elite businesses, while townships receive minimal infrastructure support.
Winde claims financial responsibility, but his government’s budget priorities consistently exclude the poor and working class.
The DA has not "Stepped Up" – It has stepped on the People
The theme of Winde’s speech was “Make 2025 the Year We All Step Up” – but the DA has not stepped up for the marginalized. Instead, they have:
- Stepped over the poor, prioritizing wealthy suburbs over townships.
- Stepped away from responsibility, blaming the national government while failing to use available provincial resources effectively.
- Stepped on the dignity of working-class communities, denying them proper housing, transport, and economic opportunities.
Winde’s SOPA is a masterclass in deflection and spin. It is meant to convince the people of the Western Cape that they are thriving, while in reality:
- Crime is out of control.
- Public services are failing.
- Housing remains a dream deferred.
- Inequality is deepening.
It is time for the people of the Western Cape to see through the DA’s lies and demand real leadership that prioritizes all people, not just the privileged few.
"Laat ons eie storie vertel!" – The future of the Western Cape must be built on justice, equality, and true leadership.
This SOPA was not a vision for the people – it was a defence of an unjust status quo. The people deserve better!
* Faiez Jacobs is a Social Entrepreneur.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.