A big budget badly spent means lost opportunities.
Gauteng should be the Golden Opportunity Province, where people can realise their dreams in a thriving economy. Despite its incredible potential, Gauteng is held back by the corruption, mismanagement and maladministration.
According to the Auditor-General, R20 billion was wasted under the failing ANC government in the last five years due to wasteful, fruitless and irregular expenditure. If this money were spent in a responsible and effective manner on education, health and housing, the province could have built 70 000 more houses, 30 new schools, 20 clinics and 5 new hospitals.
Year after year government departments fail to spend the people’s money in an effective and responsible manner, with fewer houses being built, fewer new schools, hospitals and clinics being built. The end result is fewer new opportunities being created to grow the province and create jobs. Under the failing ANC, Gauteng is going backwards.
A culture of under delivery, non-compliance and no accountability has become entrenched in our government. The current administration lacks the political will and leadership to address this rot. This problem is further exacerbated by the levels of cronyism and nepotism in the appointment of staff who lack the necessary skill and expertise to manage and implement budgets and projects. Government departments like the health department incurs billion rands in debt by not paying its service providers. Undue political interference in the awarding of tenders and inflated contracts are further weakening the province’s ability to spend its budget effectively.
The Premier and MEC Creecy have in the past made statements and broken promises to deal with these problems but to date no real plan is in place to ensure that tax payers’ money is spent in a way that will grow the province and create jobs. Premier Makhura is unable to answer questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on how many investigations were launched into financial irregularities, how many cases were opened with SAPS and how many officials have been suspended for financial irregularities.
In her budget speech tomorrow the DA would like MEC Creecy to show political will to spend the provincial budget in a way that will grow the province and create opportunities. She should announce measures to deal with governments’ inability to spend tax payers’ money in a way that benefits the residents of this province. If not, it will be a clear sign that Creecy does not have the support of the Premier or the ANC to act against financial mismanagement in the province. It will also be a sign that it will be business as usual from the ANC in the province.
MEC Creecy’s political will to turn things around will be judged on the following:
- Announcing sanctions against departments that do not pay service providers within 30 days or fail to spend their budgets;
- Consequences for HODs and senior officials who do not comply with government regulations and legislation in the implementation of budgets and infrastructure projects;
- Release the report into municipalities that invested in VBS and announce what actions will be taken against those involved;
- The announcement of a clear proactive plan of action on how she plans to turn around the finances in the Emfuleni, Merafong and Rand West Municipalities. Former disgraced Tshwane CFO, Andile Dyakala has been put in charge of the recovery plan, despite being sacked from Tshwane for fraud. It is clear the ANC is not serious about reviving the fortunes of these municipalities.
The DA has proven in Tshwane, Johannesburg and Midvaal that we can do what the ANC is unable and unwilling to do- stop corruption and open up opportunities to all our people. The DA will ensure that the people’s money is spent on speeding up quality service delivery and that those stealing from the people and wasting money are held to account.
The people’s money must be used to build a Golden Opportunity Province. Under a DA-led government, those found to have stolen the people’s money will face at least 15-years behind bars.