Winde sets the tone and our politicians should take note

Without wanting to sound like the Alan Winde Cheerleaders Committee, can we wonder if the Western Cape premier cannot be earmarked for broader national service, where he can do more for the rest of the country that he does for his province?

This week, he dismissed the provincial community safety MEC Albert Fritz after an independent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against the MEC.

While there is valid criticism that the process took a long time, the reality is that there were consequences. And, where else in government today can you say that?

The list of people accused of wrongdoing who are still in their jobs, or sitting at home on fat salaries, is endless. Accountability is missing from governance in South Africa.

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As DA premier of the Western Cape, Winde has shown what effective and responsible political leadership can be. The province’s work during the Covid pandemic was exemplary and it has the highest number of clean audits in the country.

There are problems, to be sure – such as the brutal treatment of homeless people in DA-run Cape Town – but, on the whole, Winde runs the best-managed province.

The rest of our politicians and civil servants should take note.