Support our continued efforts to help our country recover

Whilst we have made many gains in the fight to protect lives and livelihoods, there is still a long road ahead of us. If you are in a position to support our continued efforts to help our country recover, please consider making a contribution.

WATCH: A reflection on interventions made over 100 days of lockdown

The fact is that South Africa needs the DA to keep fighting for it.

We have been working hard both in government and in opposition, to fight for the rights of South Africans during this unprecedented time – but there is still a long road ahead of us.

If you are in a position to support our continued efforts to protect lives and livelihoods, and help our country recover, please consider making a contribution.

Your donation will go towards finding court action, the likes of which has seen sectors left out of Level 3, such as hairdressers, begin safely opening up.

Every Rand counts.

Some of the milestones in the DA’s fight to protect lives and livelihoods

19 March: Government adopts the DA’s proposal to allow businesses to skip Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) payments to stay afloat.
31 March: Government adopts the DA’s proposal to suspend import duty on life-saving face masks.
01 April: The DA launches dedicated hotline to allow the public to report police and army abuse.
07 May: The DA petitions the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to make any funds obtained from them by the South African government conditional on non-racial use, or any other arbitrary criteria.
14 May: Just after the DA files papers challenging the ban on e-commerce, the pressure sees government reversing their irrational ban, announcing that all products can be sold online.
14 May: The DA’s legal challenges to the night curfew and the restriction on exercise hours help see these irrational restrictions lifted in Lockdown Level 3. (We will pursue them again in the event that South Africa goes back to Level 4 and these irrational restrictions resurface.)
22 May: After launching a court case to challenge government’s ban on NGOs distributing food to desperate and hungry people, the DA wins a reprieve from the High Court that allows charities to continue their work!
19 June: DA court action against the irrational ban on personal care services, like hairdressing, prompts a lift on the ban and the publishing of regulations!
24 June: In court, the DA successfully squashes Minister Zulu’s latest food distribution restrictions that would have blocked food relief as organisations became mired in paperwork.

Key coronavirus interventions by DA governments

Western Cape COVID-19 Response:

• Africa’s biggest high-tech COVID-19 hospital.
• R968 million committed towards COVID-19 related expenditure across the Western Cape Government.
• Ordered over R350 million worth of PPE by May so that healthcare workers have the protection they need.
• Opened 19 testing and triage centres to provide additional support to healthcare facilities, work on 16 more underway.
• Community campaigns to raise awareness on COVID-19.
• Safe “Red Dot Transport Service” for essential workers.
• Transport sanitising, to ensure that commuters travel safely across the province.
• 41 quarantine and isolation facilities available offering over 4000 beds.
• Additional R53 million allocated to food relief programmes in the Western Cape.
• 11 000 COVID-19 safety kits to be rolled out to Western Cape businesses.
• Safely reopening schools, R450 million spent so far on preparing schools.

Cape Town COVID-19 Response: 

• Providing rates relief to struggling ratepayers while maintaining service delivery.
• The City has created a R3.3 billion social package to provide rates relief to the indigent, disabled and pensioners.
• Passed a strong R9.6 billion to ensure that public infrastructure projects support the local economy and job creation.
• Caring for vulnerable residents, supporting over 200 soup kitchens.
• Cape Town has achieved the country’s highest service reach to the homeless under lockdown.
• City councillors pooled R12 million in emergency food relief from their ward allocation savings.
• Delivered over 51 million litres of emergency water, including sanitation provisions in informal settlements.
• Commuters will benefit from reduced MyCiTi fees from this July.
  City clinics are screening and testing for COVID-19 in support of the provincial effort.
• Health response:
  – Management of patients at clinics, including construction work. 
  – Screening and testing.
  – PPE for frontline staff.  
  – Distancing management at workplaces.
  – CTICC field hospital.
  – 20 000 hygiene care packs distributed.
• Recently distributed 20 000 COVID-19 hygiene care packs to communities.
• Support to keeping the economy going:
  – 3600 building plans to the value of R4.1 bn approved during the lockdown.
  – 250 land use applications resolved.
  – 1 billion paid to suppliers during April and May.  
  – A 97% payment of accounts.
  – 25 billion in tenders and purchase orders awarded to businesses.
  – 9000 informal trading permits issued.
  – 3000 business toolkits.