Thomas Johnson - The Blog

This is an edited version of a debate I had this weekend with a DA member on Politicsweb about what good governance means and if the DA has what it takes. As before, while acknowledging Mmusi Maimane is a "weak" leader and they have problems, he insists they know and do have what it takes.  However, as the debate progressed he was unable to list the criteria of good governance except "clean audits".   The full exchange can be found here . The DA’s and their supporters’ assertion “The DA should be judged on its performance in government, and its potential to run the country” comes from a variety of people.  They say, “The ANC is bad, and problematic as the DA is with their weak leader, confused position, in-fighting, etc, they're the best and only option available.” Ironic then that with this position, they list small parties like COPE’s, UDM’s, etc problems as if the DA doesn't have ample of its own. In other words, their reasoning breaks down because...

In a letter to a media contact last week, parts of which I reproduce here, I said I don’t recommend people vote for the DA in May 2019’s election. While they are not the ANC and are better in a country where mediocrity is the standard, ethically they’re little different to the ANC and with a questionable and shifting grasp of the truth. And given their record with the self-made water crisis and De Lille debacle, it’s debatable whether they will be better if they governed South Africa. I don’t agree with the cynical “tactical” voting to keep out or reduce the number of ANC votes – that’s a mercenary contract, a marriage of convenience that’s bound to end in tears because it’s not based on one’s principles. I’ve been proven right about the DA's ethical and governance dilemmas and corruption since 2012 (I had my doubts about Helen Zille when she was mayor of Cape Town but gave her the benefit of the doubt) when I saw the path she was taking the party on and in the process lo...

This is the email exchange with DA Member of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry Geordin Hill-Lewis about the DA's Western Cape job creation and employment claims following my letter to him (see  here ). 15 February 2019 Dear Mr Johnson Thank you for your mail [see here ], and thanks for reading my speech so assiduously.  Attached is a brochure  [Powerpoint "WC Presentation BT 10 years"] distributed by the WC government, which includes the number I used, and its source. In 2009 President Jacob Zuma promised 5 million jobs by 2020. The Western Cape is the ONLY province that has actually made its contribution to that goal. If the other 8 provinces had done the same, the country would have achieved the 5 million jobs target and our unemployment number would be markedly lower than it currently is. This should be celebrated.  I don’t intend to respond to all of the issues you raise, except to say that I absolutely defend the use of...

DA MP Geordin Hill-Lewis  recently gave a speech in the National Assembly on  about the DA's Western Cape alleged job creation and employment claims. This is an edited version of my response to him.  DA party leader Mmusi Maimane has repeatedly claimed the DA-run Western Cape is “creating” jobs and has the lowest unemployment rate in the country since 2009. Note he variably refers to the official rate (see below), which made it Limpopo until the last quarter 2018 (Q4: 19.6%; Q3: 18.9% to WC’s 20.4%), and other times like recently the expanded rate so it’s hard to keep track of which one he’s referring to. Geordin Hill-Lewis did too in did too in his speech to the National Assembly on February 13: “Where the DA governs, jobs are created. In the 10 years of DA government in the Western Cape (WC), job growth has been triple the next best province. That equals 640 000 new jobs, more than the entire population of Mangaung, in new jobs. Unemployment where we govern is ...