Cash-strapped FS government to spend millions on inauguration ceremony for new Premier

26 March 2018

The cash-strapped Free State Provincial Government is set to spend millions on a lavish inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, 28 March 2018, following tomorrow’s election at a sitting of the Free State Legislature to elect a new Premier.

Ace Magashule already enjoyed a R3 million farewell function disguised as his State of the Province Address (SOPA) last month. It is quite ridiculous that more money will be wasted on an inauguration ceremony for a new Premier.

The DA is strongly opposed to the appropriation of funds for a purpose that will not improve the lives of the people of the Free State.

Barely two weeks ago, Finance MEC Elzabe Rockman announced in her budget speech that the Free State will lose R1,3 billion in funding from National Treasury over the next three financial years and that this will impact negatively on government programmes, reiterating the need for cost containment measures to be strictly adhered to.

As usual, the ANC in government will say one thing, and do completely the opposite.

The DA finds the intention to spend millions on such a lavish inauguration ceremony for a new Premier to be gravely at odds with the financial reality the provincial government finds itself in. One would think that during a time that calls for financial austerity, government would lead by example, but it appears that the new Premier of the Free State will just continue where Ace Magashule left off.

This is not a good start for the new Premier at all.

The DA will submit written questions to the Premier to ascertain the exact costs involved for this inauguration ceremony.

Issued by Roy Jankielsohn, Leader of the Official Opposition in the Free State Provincial Legislature, 26 March 2018