DA tries to steal premier’s thunder

Expectations are high ahead of Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela’s inaugural State of the Province (Sopa) address today.

The issues provincial residents expect Ntombela to address include, among others, the lack of service delivery, high unemployment rate, the lack of economic growth, and rampant corruption.

Yesterday, the DA in the Free State delivered their alternative to the premier’s address.

The address, by Roy Jankielsohn, a member of the provincial legislature and the DA’s premier candidate, drew attention to the poor state of municipalities, healthcare service, dilapidated infrastructure, corruption, and tender fraud.

Jankielsohn highlighted how the current ANC-led administration has failed to prioritise the needs of its people and accused the party of turning the province into a cash cow for politicians and their associates.

He said the DA was waiting to hear how Ntombela planned to deal with corruption in the province, following the DA’s request for the premier to investigate corruption allegations that surfaced during her predecessor, Ace Magashule’s, leadership.