NW Budget will not rebuild a collapsed province

5 March 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in North West today rejected the proposed R44 billion provincial budget as it fails to respond to the dire socio-economic needs of the people of the province.

It is ridiculous that a provincial government under administration will receive R44 billion to fund its poor governance track record for another year.

This budget is an ANC-centred budget, with both the Office of the Premier and the Legislature enjoying funding allocations larger than those of the Department of Economy and Enterprise Development and Tourism largely responsible for ensuring economic growth and job creation. This is a travesty.

The latest unemployment figures for the Fourth Quarter 2018 show that the official unemployment rate currently stands at 26.6%. while the real unemployment rate which include those persons who have given up on searching for a job stands at 42.9%.

In short, 731 000 North West residents are unable to find a job today and the failing ANC government remains incapable of building One South Africa for All where there is fair access to real, long-term jobs. Only vote for the DA can bring change to the North West province.

MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela’s commented that the province offers limited opportunities to skilled economically active people which results in a skills exodus to other provinces. It is bizarre that the failing ANC is not addressing a problem they have identified and created.

The MEC’s remark that “the Provincial Budget is tabled under extremely difficult socio-economic conditions where government is expected to sustain the delivery of quality services to the people of North West Province with limited resources at our disposal” is a mockery to the people here who suffer due to a lack of service delivery and the extensive looting the corrupt ANC has deliberately facilitated for politicians.

In just one year the ANC government in North West, at both provincial and local level, incurred R1,575 billion in Unauthorised Expenditure, almost R20 billion in Irregular Expenditure and R255 million in Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure. This is not considering the R314 million looted from municipalities in the VBS Bank Heist.

Due to corruption, poor management, and no consequence management billions of the people’s money that was allocated to better the lives of all, is either lost, or ends up in the pockets of uncaring ANC politicians.

Although we note that the ANC government finally acknowledge the persistent and undignified situation at schools with regards to pit toilets, the R253 million allocated to 154 schools to establish adequate sanitation facilities, after 25 years of failed ANC governance, is not only a little too late, it is a disgrace.

It is a pity that the failed provincial government has done little to assist farmers and rural communities dependent on subsistence and communal farming in drought-stricken areas and this budget makes little mention of how all role-players in the Agri-sector will be empowered and assisted to help grow the industry and ensure food security.

Nearly 60% of this budget will go towards salaries. This indicates a bloated government and civil service draining resources away from programmes needed to improve the living conditions of people through effective service delivery and infrastructure development.

This budget is not aimed at bringing change and prosperity to the North West. The people’s money must be used to uplift our Platinum Province, to create economic opportunities for all.

A DA government in the North West will, as we do in the Western Cape, design a budget that will attract investment, grow the economy, open access to jobs and spend conditional and infrastructure grants, ensure service delivery, especially to the poor. Where we govern almost 80% of the budget allocation goes towards materially improving the lives of ordinary people through service deliver and infrastructure programmes. The DA is ready to do the same in North West.

Issued by Joe McGluwa, DA North West Premier Candidate, 5 March 2019