BUTTERWORTH – In a powerful display of solidarity, the Chief Whip of the Official Opposition, Siviwe Gwarube MP, along with members of parliament and the provincial legislature, led a march through the streets of Butterworth on 4 October 2023 as a response to the recent tragic incidents of mothers allegedly killing their children and then committing suicide due to extreme poverty in the Eastern Cape.
The marchers made their way through the streets of Butterworth, voicing their concerns and demanding action from the Eastern Cape MEC for Social Development, Bukiwe Fanta. A memorandum was delivered to the MEC’s office, highlighting the urgent need for solutions to address the poverty crisis that is devastating the province.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), frustrated by the lack of response from the ANC government in the province, presented a series of interventions that they believe can alleviate the suffering of poverty-stricken families. Democratic Alliance Eastern Cape provincial leader Andrew Whitfield said “The DA in the Eastern Cape is marching in Butterworth (today) in order to highlight the increasing cost of living and its impact on some of our country’s poorest residents. The cost of living crisis is affecting all South Africans. It is harder to make ends meet these days. But poor South Africans like the residents of Butterworth and surrounding villages are (the) hardest hit”.
These proposed interventions by the DA include cutting taxes and levies on fuel to reduce transportation costs for food, scrapping VAT on essential food items, reviewing and reducing import tariffs on foods consumed by low-income households, providing private titles to land reform beneficiaries to increase food supply and security, and increasing the child support grant to align with the official food poverty line.
Democratic Alliance Eastern Cape deputy provincial leader Mlindi Nhanha emphasized the need for this march and how the standard of living has gone up causing people in rural areas and of poor backgrounds “to struggle to meet their basic needs.”
The DA emphasizes that the “ANC government must take immediate action to address the cost-of-living crisis and implement these proposed solutions.” They argue that while families are struggling to put food on the table, the government has been slow to act, leading to tragic outcomes such as the recent incidents of mothers allegedly killing their children out of desperation.
The memorandum by the DA was also sent to the Ministry of Social Development because the DA believes that both national and provincial governments should collaborate in order for effective measures to alleviate poverty and fight starvation in the Eastern Cape to be found.
