DA RESPONDS TO DONALD TRUMP AND ELON MUSK @KASIBCNEWS
Withdrawal of US aid represents a critical moment for SA Madam Speaker,
This decision to withdraw US aid represents a critical moment for South Africa to reevaluate and strengthen our international partnerships. It is a moment that calls for unity as we work together to overcome this healthcare crisis.
The Democratic Alliance has consistently advocated for a foreign policy that puts the wellbeing of South African citizens first, advances South Africa's long-term strategic interests, while fostering productive domestic and international relationships.
Over the past decades, this has not always been the case, and now we face the rapid dismantling of two decades of progress in healthcare – particularly in HIV/AIDS and TB.
Along with the closure of the UN’s World Food Programme in Johannesburg and the withdrawal of aid to NGOs which provide services to refugees and asylum seekers, such as Scalabrini Centre just across the road. For millions of our citizens, this is not about politics, it is about survival.
When you wake up each day fighting to exist, debates about ideology or whether aid comes from east or west mean nothing. The impact on vulnerable households is devastating – the impossible choice between food or electricity; school shoes or transport; now becomes a choice between medication or death. While certain political parties welcome the withdrawal of Western funding, remember; it is not anyone at this podium or in this dome who will suffer. It is the orphaned child in the rural clinic denied lifesaving treatment.
The young mother unable to access prenatal ARVs. The family solely dependent on their grandmother’s old age social grant, without access to TB treatment.
The approximately 15 000 jobs, and counting which will be lost, affecting 15 000 households.
Speaker, the reality of the matter is, babies will be born with HIV and at some point loose a parent or both to a preventable disease.
Crucial services offered by NGOs in health education, emotional and psychological counselling, regular HIV testing, and awareness programmes, will be significantly reduced.
Running the dangerous risk of defaulting back to the days where the medical advice from the ANC government at the time was garlic, beetroot, and the African potato or worse that showering after sexual intercourse will “minimise” the possibility of contracting HIV. And while provinces attempt to mitigate the risk by expanding services for collection of ARVs at public healthcare facilities, many will not go for fear of stigmatisation and lack of means.
Does government honestly believe orphaned children living with HIV will make their own way to a clinic? This was the crucial role filled by now defunded NGOs. Where will we find billions of Rands to fill the gap? Our fiscus is severely strained – that is an understatement. Now more than ever we must redirect funds from countless wasteful vanity projects like the R28 million spent on NHI advertising, VIP Protection, and failed SOE bailouts, to save lives.
The upcoming budget speech on March 12th carries heightened anxiety as we await solutions to this crisis. This is why the Democratic Alliance has presented credible budget alternatives that address the plight of the marginalized while creating jobs and stimulating growth. Speaker, the loss of US aid is a severe setback and the humanitarian impact only quantifiable in years to come.
However, by adopting the DA's model of good governance, attracting investment, and building new partnerships both domestically and internationally, we can mitigate this impact. We must mitigate this impact.
I thank you. Full speech by Alexandra Abrahams MP - DA Deputy Spokesperson on Social Development
South Africa's path forward: Unity, diplomacy, and the need for strong global partnerships
Honourable Speaker, I stand at this podium today as a proud South African, invested in the unity, stability and prosperity of our great nation.
We as South Africans must never allow ourselves to become divided by external actors who embody ideals that are diametrically opposed to our democratic values. We as South African political leaders have an obligation to represent our national interests; to work together to foster unity and growth, and to improve the lives of our people by ensuring that we act with wisdom.
Honourable Members, the sudden cessation of PEPFAR funding last week sent shock waves throughout the world, and I reiterate the deep sympathy expressed by my colleagues for the more than 15 000 healthcare workers who have now lost their jobs without fair notice; and the hundreds of thousands of patients who have lost access to critical, lifesaving care. For many decades the US played a vital role in our economy as a key trading partner, investor, and global ally in the fight against HIV. We are deeply grateful to the American people, and previous US administrations for having supported millions of the most vulnerable South African with such care and grace for so many decades.
Whilst it is absolutely the prerogative of the US administration to put America first, the immediacy of the aid termination, without adequate notice that allows African governments to implement contingency plans, is going reverse decades of progress made in the fight against AIDS, and is in my view, deeply inhumane.
It is difficult to imagine that one group of South Africans could be offered refugee asylum by the same administration that has now cut access to life saving care that keeps hundreds of thousands of South Africans alive. This action is simply not consistent with our longstanding, shared, democratic values.
Whilst acknowledging the callousness of this recent actions, it goes without saying that the previous ANC led government did little to defend democratic values in a way that builds strong and reliable global partnerships. Fraternising with the enemies of the very values upon which our constitutional democracy is founded has indeed come at the expense of our country’s international reputation, and is now directly undermining our economic growth prospects.
Honourable Speaker, the GNU presents an historic opportunity for a reset, including a full reform of South Africa’s economic and foreign policy agenda, ensuring that together, we seize the moment to charter a more stable and prosperous future.
As proud South Africans, we must recognise that the unity of our country is fundamental to this debate. The formation of the GNU is a testament to the strength of our democracy and our collective determination to place the interests of our people above partisan politics. South Africa’s foreign policy under the leadership of the GNU must now focus on prioritising our national interests in order to address our developmental needs.
This does not mean aligning to any single set of global alliances, but rather working to position South Africa as a consistent and reliable partner for investment, trade, and global cooperation. As Africa’s most resilient economy and democracy, South Africa is a crucial regional hub for international businesses, including over 600 American firms that have chosen our country as their base of operations.
The increasingly interconnected and transnational world we function in today compels mutual cooperation. Pandemics, food insecurity, and climate change require partnership. The maintenance of the global rules-based order requires partnership. Alliances amongst democracies have and will continue to be necessary in order to maintain global peace and stability.
At this increasingly hostile time, South Africa must now lead from the front. In representing my country’s interests, I would like to call on the US government, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to recognise the strategic importance of maintaining strong ties with the global community of democracies.
The future of our world depends on this. Full speech by Emma Louise Powell MP - DA Spokesperson on International Relations & Cooperation
