SACP Limpopo Statement on the decision of National Executive to place Limpopo Provincial Government under administration
The South African Communist Party in Limpopo Province welcomes the Republic of South Africa's Executive Cabinet's decision to place Limpopo Provincial Administration under an ‘administration' process that will be overseen by the National Executive.
This follows on the recent request for fiscal bail out by the Provincial Administration to the National Government. The Province is now in the red (in fact bankrupt) and cannot afford to fulfill its financial obligations. This cannot only be a consequence of reckless expenditure and failure to prioritize on spending in terms of service delivery to the working class and the poor who are in dire need for socio-economic upliftment and development on the one hand, but a pattern of state tender cronyism which is rife and endemic in Limpopo Province on the other.
The social services such as health, welfare and education as well as roads and transport infrastructure are in a state of shambles. The quality of services provided by the private companies is below standard in a number of instances. For example the road infrastructure that was built within a short space of time is already disintegrating and in dilapidated state. Some Government buildings are no exception and the repeated maintenance comes at a huge costs against the state financial resources.
The unscrupulous tendency of overpricing of outsourced services through the Supply Chain Management processes is indicative of untrammeled forms of collusion practices between the private suppliers and Provincial Government officials, who in most instances are linked to Provincial Executive Council members and their sleeping business partners. The revelations about On Point Engineering company a prime financial contributor to Ratanang Trust belonging to the suspended African National Congress Youth League President which is raking in millions of rands from the Department of Roads and Transport, is a glaring case of these unholy linkages between rogue politicians and greedy business persons.
On 15 September 2011 the SACP made a call for the Provincial Executive Council under Mr Cassel Mathale to step down and give way for the new Cabinet to be put under administration as a matter of urgency.
The reason the SACP is reiterating that Mr Mathale and his Provincial Executive Council must be relieved of their responsibilities is that they have not only dismally failed to inspire public confidence in the leadership of ANC led Provincial Government, but have also failed to channel developmental programmes to the benefit of the working class and the poor especially the rural communities who are in need of services and economic empowerment and developmental programmes.
In addition, the tendency of corruption and maladministration is likely to have serious consequences of hampering the capacity of the time tested revolutionary ally of the South African Communist Party, the ANC. The negative perceptions sowed among the masses by the Provincial Administration leadership must be stemmed without further delay. The SACP will continuously rally the Alliance partners and mobilise the working class community behind an intensified mass anti-corruption campaigns.
Going forward the following are our key policy suggestions:
- detenderisation of the state
- and end to private outsourcing of Government services such as security and cleaning services
- review of Private Public Partnerships as a model of procurement and that this be replaced by cooperatives as a model of local economic empowerment and development
- practical realisation and implementation of expanded public works programmes to enhance employment and fight poverty.
We call upon the people of Limpopo Province to support the ANC led Government and isolate a tiny group of parasitic bureaucratic capitalist class who have self-styled themselves as the new champions of socio-economic freedom.
The SACP holds an undying believe that the ANC as led by President Jacob Zuma remains the only reliable champion for a better life for all.
The SACP would like to salute the multitudes of the working class and the poor who have widely received and actively participated in the numerous province wide anti-corruption protest marches in Maruleng, Mokopane, Tzaneen and Polokwane. And more are still to follow on the 9th and 13th December in Mopani (Giyani) and Polokwane respectively.
Statement issued by Gilbert Kganyago, SACP Limpopo Province, Interim Provincial Secretary, December 6 2011
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