GOOD speech by Shaun August, GOOD: National Organiser and Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament
02 June 2022
Note: This is the speech that was delivered by GOOD’s National Organiser and Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, Shaun August, during today’s debate in the Provincial Legislature on the impact of increasing fuel prices and the rate of inflation on economy, poverty and hunger in the province.
Speaker,
The latest increase in the fuel price has citizens of this province, and in the rest of the country, on the edge of their seats, literally.
Speaker,
This cannot continue. South Africans are holding on by their fingernails to survive and ride-out these waves of economic hardships that are hitting households daily. The cost of living, and the looming increases in the price of basic goods that follow fuel hikes, is simply unreachable by the majority of our citizens.
People in this province are trying to survive swells of hardships already: gangsterism, kidnappings and human trafficking, murders and gun wars. And in the midst of all of this, they find themselves in an economy that is not producing jobs or alleviating poverty which could drastically decrease crime. This is the reality that many are subjected to.
The increase in fuel pricing adds further pressure on the people of the Western Cape who already carry an extremely heavy load. The steep rise in fuel will further shrink pockets, widening the net of poverty, hunger and increasing crime.
National government can safeguard citizens against this dire state of economic aggression as any proactive state would, but instead it prefers to continuously waste money on non-performing outcomes.
Speaker,
The Western Cape Government and this house also has a responsibility in shielding people of this province against economic destitution.
We need to turn our focus towards establishing pockets of economic activity, based on the needs of communities. We need to promote and develop community-based kits for small scale farming, drive cross-sector up-skilling, create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and recognise the informal economy as an integral driver of economic activity to prioritise their needs.
National government should take several steps back as their misdirection is costing our people dearly and the provincial government should understand that their hands are not tied and should not lay blame, solely, at the feet of the ANC, but accept that they too are not doing a much better job.
Media Enquiries:
Shaun August, GOOD: National Organiser & Member of Western Cape Provincial Parliament
Cell: 074 746 7378
Email: shauna@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD: Media Manager
Cell: 0733671223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za