Speaking for the minnows
FF+, Good party representatives relishing serving their constituents in legislature
BOTH Peter Marais, from the Freedom Front Plus, and the Good party’s Brett Herron relish the moment to represent their respective parties as members in the Western Cape Legislature, and they promise to keep the best interests of their voters at heart.
Top on their agenda is to keep the DA-led provincial government on its toes. Marais placed much emphasis on protecting the rights of the minority Afrikaner and coloured communities but pointed out that isiXhosa and isiZulu-speaking people were also in the minority in the Western Cape and protecting their rights was just as important.
“I’m glad that I have the opportunity to again represent the interest of Afrikaans-speaking people, especially in respect of labour equality and transformation. Also high on my agenda are the Khoi and Griqua people, who didn’t receive any protection from the DA-run government.
“I want to have a meeting with the Khoi groups, invite them and make sure that their case is given the attention at the highest level. I want to make sure that the interest of the Khoi and minority groups are given attention by the 10 FF Plus MPs in the national government.”
He added that Afrikaans in schools and in the two main universities in the province was an urgent matter and he would be pursuing discussions on the topic in the legislature.
On housing, Marais said: “I also want to address the mushrooming of informal settlements.
“The FF Plus wants to make sure that the DA housing opportunities policy is not about having shacks. It must be a proper starter home for any family to life in.”
Herron said that topping his agenda would be to redress apartheid spatial planning and that public land must be used for that purpose and not sold to the highest bidder.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be in the provincial legislature and I will be driving the issues contained in our manifesto, which include economic justice, commitment to climate change, build infrastructure and policy which must create new business and jobs for the unemployed, build houses where people work, and make sure that everything in the Western Cape is equitable.
EFF spokesperson Melikhaya Xego said: “Our mandate to the DA-run government is jobs and this will be discussed at each and every platform.
“Land expropriation needs to take place immediately, whether the DA likes it or not,” Xego added.