Summary extract of speech by DA Gauteng Caucus Leader Jack Bloom in debate
on the budget of the Premier's Office in the Gauteng Legislature June 12 2012:

GAUTENG PREMIER'S OFFICE SETS POOR EXAMPLE

The Office of Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane sets a poor example for the provincial government departments that it is meant to direct to achieve provincial goals.

This year's budget is R257 million, but last year her office underspent by R22 million, ten percent of the budget.

A re-organisation of the office was only achieved this year, three years after first being announced.

In February last year Mokonyane promised to fill all vacant posts in the entire provincial government within six months.

The present figure is 16% funded vacant posts, so it is another empty promise.

It takes inordinately long to fill provincial vacancies. According to a recently released report by the Public Service Commission, it took on average 568 days (1 year and 7 months) to fill a vacancy. It took three years and five months to appoint an Administration Officer.

This office has spent R1.7 million in interest costs because court orders in medical negligence cases were paid late.

Only now is a litigation strategy being put in place after the embarrassment in January this year of the Sheriff of the court arriving twice to attach furniture to pay for court settlements.

Payment of suppliers by the Premier's Office within 30 days has slipped to 85%, dropping from 94% payment in the third quarter of last year. Compare this to the 99.28% payment record within 30 days of Western Cape Premier Helen Zille's office.

In the provincial government as a whole, only 22% are paid within the required 30 days.

The political will to fight corruption is not there when it comes to taking on political figures who have a power base in the ruling party.

A report by the Public Protector dated 6 August 2010 criticised the award without tender of a R71 million security contract to Abalozi Security, a company then part-owned by General Siphiwe Nyanda.

The Protector recommended an investigation into improper conduct in the award of this contract, as well as a general investigation of all tenders worth more than a million rand that were awarded without tender to see if there was systemic abuse.

But Mokonyane has done nothing about this, nor did she lay criminal charges against former transport heads Sibusiso Buthelezi and Benedicta Monama, who both left under a cloud after being implicated in wrongdoing.

Another bad mark is her failure to fire Local Government MEC Humphrey Mmemezi for abuse of his government credit card.

His increasingly desperate attempts to explain away his purchase of a painting through a McDonald's branch in Pretoria highlights his buffoonery and unfitness to hold office.

His continuation in office is a stain on this provincial government. The sooner he goes the better.

Issued by the DA Gauteng, June 12 2012

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