Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Wolfgang Wallhorn
The provincial budget delivered by MEC Kenetswe Mosenogi in the North West Provincial Legislature is nothing but an empty framework with empty promises and was underwhelming, to say the least.
Clearly this province is underfunded and was not aligned with the Premier’s promises in the State of the Province Address.
During her speech today, Mosenogi’s ignorance came forth with her announcements of the improvement in the stability and functionality of councils in the municipalities across the province. However, she never mentioned the chaos that is Ditsobotla Local Municipality, as well as Tswaing Local Municipality and Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipalities, to name but a few.
She did, however, mention the R320 million which will be allocated to fund the shortfall in salary increases, as well as the whopping R5.5 billion worth of unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditures by the municipalities written off.
The DA notes the 5 500 temporary jobs Mogenosi plans to create through Infrastructure Development as well as the 3 094 jobs as assistant educators, but we would like to warn against creating only temporary jobs that are not sustainable in the long term.
What is noticeable is the R79.722 million allocated to the North West Gambling Board (NWGB), but only R10 million is allocated for food security. This is a clear indication of the imbalance of the priorities in this province.
The DA also notes the underfunding of R258.723 million allocated for rural roads; this is particularly concerning given the current state of road projects in the province, more so after the heavy rains experienced the last few weeks.
The housing backlog is an albatross that is going to remain on the province’s neck for years to come, seeing that despite the Department of Human Settlements indicating that it can at least build 20 000 per year, the budget only enables the building of a mere 3 555 houses. This is not even a drop in the ocean; it’s a pie in the sky. The findings in the recent Human Rights Commission report on the inadequate building of RDP houses in the province would have made for a great motivation for additional funding in this sector, but it is another missed opportunity by the ANC-led government.
Mosenogi only mentioned one line on one of the biggest issues in this province, water and sanitation. No exact budget allocation was given, and there was no mention of the many statements made by the Premier during his SOPA.
All in all, the budget is still full of holes, loaded with empty promises. The DA remains adamant that more focus should be given to eliminating corruption. When service delivery is what it is supposed to be, investors will be more interested in investing in our province, which in turn will relieve the economic pressure and create long-term jobs.