Note to Broadcasters: Find linked soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Jacqueline Theologo MPL
The DA notes, with scepticism, the R50,856 billion 2023/24 North West budget speech presented by the MEC of Finance, Motlalepula Rosho, yesterday.
Provincial Treasury increased the conditional grant funding to the tune of R742,197 million towards the Departments of Public Works and Roads, Education and Health.
Sadly, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Health failed to utilise their 2022/23 conditional grant funding to the combined value of R570 million, while the Department of Education forfeited funds to Treasury meant for the crucial National School Nutrition Programme Grant.
This shows that there is no capacity to improve on or expand critical infrastructure in North West, despite Treasury making funds available for infrastructure maintenance and expansion projects.
The Department of Health further received an amount R15,219 billion, yet we will not see it translate to improved service delivery because this is a department that has an inflated cadre deployment top structure, while those at coal face continue to struggle.
R30 million has been allocated to the Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism to deal with the energy crisis as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa. However, while other provinces like the Western Cape have advanced in mitigating the effects of loadshedding budgeting over R1 billion towards protecting residents and business from loadshedding there – it remains a pipeline dream for North West with no tangible plan yet.
It is also worrying that this crucial provincial electricity crisis alleviation project will be placed under the North West Development Corporation (NWDC) as the implementing agent, while 90% of their projects are dysfunctional, requiring bailouts from government. The NWDC has been recording financial losses in the last three financial years, apart from 2020, to the combined value of R132 million.
Provincial Treasury allocated R565 million to continue the provision of technical support to provincial departments, municipalities and public entities. The poor performance of North West municipalities indicates that this budget is not utilised properly or misused.
Scholar transport received a boost of R450 million, with a total of R1,350 billion over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), any expenditure and contracts must be monitored properly. Scholar transport has been erratic and largely dysfunctional for several years now in North West.
Over the last 29 years, the performance of the North West provincial government has been marred by corruption fraud and abuse while service delivery, unemployment, health, and education have been on a rapid decline. This budget is not the people’s budget, but an ANC budget meant to enrich the pockets of ANC cadres. Unlike the DA-led Western Cape government, which has been improving people’s lives, growing the economy, creating jobs, and delivering services.