A big budget badly spent means lost opportunities.
4 March 2019
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.