While KZN’s leaders debate growth forecasts and investment pledges, many communities still experience daily hardship. Consider the families displaced by the 2022 floods, some of whom are still living in temporary accommodation, writes Riona Gokool.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
THE Democratic Alliance’s (DA) response to the recent State of the Province Address (Sopa) is a response to the hopes, frustrations and expectations of millions of residents who look to the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) for leadership. Because outside the legislature, politics feels very different.
It is felt in a mother waiting hours at a clinic with her child. It is felt by a small business owner forced to close early due to rising crime. It is felt in a young graduate refreshing job applications with no reply. And it is felt by families still rebuilding their lives after floods washed away everything they owned. KZN’s people are not asking for perfection – they are asking for progress they can see and feel.
KZN’s GPU exists because voters made a deliberate choice. They rejected dominance by one party and demanded cooperation, balance and accountability. The DA respects that mandate. We entered into this arrangement not to dilute our principles, but to strengthen governance, to ensure that cooperation produces delivery, and that unity produces results. But unity must never mean silence. A healthy partnership requires honesty, constructive criticism and the courage to say when things are not working. That is how trust is built, not only between parties, but between government and citizens.
There are areas within KZN where progress deserves recognition. Investment attraction, dialogue with business and efforts to rebuild investor confidence are positive steps. The renewed focus on infrastructure, skills development and economic partnerships reflects an understanding that government alone cannot grow the economy. The expansion of skills programmes, particularly in aviation, maritime industries and technical training, signals an important shift toward preparing young people for future industries.
And where departments have worked collaboratively across political lines, we have seen something powerful: delivery becomes faster, decisions clearer and confidence begins to return. These are signs that cooperation can work. But progress in policy announcements must now translate into progress in people’s lives.
Because while KZN’s leaders debate growth forecasts and investment pledges, many communities still experience daily hardship. Consider the families displaced by the 2022 floods, some of whom are still living in temporary accommodation. Climate change is real. Extreme weather is real. But delayed delivery is also real.
Preparedness, maintenance of stormwater systems, proper spatial planning and faster rebuilding must become the priority, not just emergency responses after tragedy strikes. The DA believes disaster management must move from reaction to prevention. A capable state anticipates risk; it does not simply manage crises.
We further welcome collaboration within community safety and cooperation with SAPS. But KZN’s residents do not measure crime through percentages. They measure it through fear when their children walk to school, when their businesses install further security measures, when rural communities feel abandoned. Crime destroys investment, tourism and hope - long before it destroys statistics. The DA wants to see practical interventions strengthened, which must include;
Safety is the foundation of economic growth. Without safety, no investment strategy will succeed.
While the Premier highlighted economic recovery efforts, the uncomfortable truth remains: GDP growth of around 2% will not defeat unemployment. Our young people are educated, connected and ready, but opportunity remains out of reach. The DA believes KZN must become the easiest province in South Africa to start and grow a business by;
Government must become an enabler because when businesses grow, communities grow.
Service delivery succeeds or fails at municipal level. When refuse is not collected, when taps are dry, when potholes damage vehicles, citizens do not blame systems; they blame government. The premier acknowledged municipalities in distress but support plans must now include measurable timelines, consequence management and professional administration insulated from political interference.
The DA believes a capable state is built on merit, accountability and transparency. Clean governance is not an abstract principle - it is the difference between working infrastructure and collapsing services.
We welcome the employment of community health workers and investments in preventative healthcare. But many residents still experience overcrowded clinics, medicine shortages and long waiting times. Healthcare reform must focus on patient experience: dignity, efficiency and accountability. Similarly, while KZN’s matric success is commendable, and educators deserve recognition, education success cannot end at matric results.
A young person with a certificate but no pathway to employment is still trapped and government must strengthen the link between education, skills and industry demand, ensuring learners transition into opportunity, not unemployment.
The DA strongly supports the premier in professionalising the public service and fighting corruption but accountability must be visible. Investigations must lead to consequences. Irregular expenditure must lead to recovery. And wrongdoing must lead to dismissal not redeployment. Public trust is rebuilt when citizens see fairness applied consistently.
KZN’s GPU is working hard to build a province where infrastructure withstands storms. Where young people choose to stay because opportunity exists. Where investors arrive because governance is predictable. Where communities walk freely without fear. That future is possible but it requires urgency. The DA, as a GPU partner, remains committed to supporting policies that work, strengthening ideas that need improvement and challenging decisions that fail our people. Because accountability strengthens partnerships, it does not weaken them. Our role is not opposition for the sake of opposition, instead it is constructive leadership grounded in solutions.
KZN’s people have endured unrest, economic hardship, floods and rising living costs, yet they continue to show resilience and hope. KZN’s GPU must be remembered for changing their lives. Unity must mean delivery. Cooperation must mean progress. When leaders work together with integrity, KZN can truly can rise. The DA stands ready to work, firmly, responsibly and honestly, to build a province that works for all its people.
Riona Gokool
Image: Supplised
Riona Gokool, MPL
Member of the DA in the KZN Legislature
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.