Members of the provincial legislature from all political parties united in expressing their displeasure at Premier Thandi Modise’s state of the province address.

In their response to Modise’s address members dismissed the speech as a mere rehash onfselected issues done by various departments in the past without necessarily laying the groundwork for the coming year.

Top among their concerns was the premier’s silence on promises made in the past, her inaction on members of her executive facing damaging allegations or those implicated in financial misuse.

Hoffman Galeng of the ANC said: “The province was promised 10 priority roads last year and we would have appreciated being updated on the progress. If there were problems with this commitment, the premier should have taken the people of the province into her confidence.”

He also cited the silence around the protracted issue of the Koster-Lichtenburg road, now set to cost more than R200m against the initial contract value of R97m.

Galeng hinted that rampant corruption was likely to bring governance to its knees.

“Ours is a government bleeding from the effects of fraud and corruption in high offices.”

Cope provincial leader Nikiwe Num said: “We call for an audit of the performance of MECs. We demand the immediate release of MECs who are not responding to the call of being servant leaders and are driven by status and authority.”