ANC Budget Road Show is a Waste of Money

February 2, 2006

The IFP notes that this is the third consecutive year of the People’s Budget road show, a wasteful public relations exercise, paraded by the ANC provincial government as a tool for enhancing participatory democracy.

“The ANC is deliberately misleading the public by inducing the people of KwaZulu-Natal to give input on a matter that has been finalised and that cannot be amended to accommodate further recommendations,” said IFP provincial spokesperson Blessed Gwala.

The IFP argues that the input, which the People’s Budget road shows are expected to yield, cannot be incorporated into the budget since the budget has been finalised by the national and provincial Treasuries.
“This is the crudest form of mockery of participatory democracy on the part of the ruling party,” said Gwala.

The IFP is dismayed to note that none of this has prevented the MEC for Finance and Economic Development Dr Zweli Mkhize from embarking on the road shows for the third consecutive year at a huge cost to the taxpayer.

“It is hard to see this initiative as anything but a wasteful public relations exercise for the ruling party which is trying to give the impression that it takes input from the public seriously,” said Gwala.

The IFP maintains that the ANC in government has a tendency to test their bad ideas to destruction. “It is a pity that we all, as taxpayers, are having to foot the bill,” said Gwala.

Contact: Blessed Gwala, 078 690 5777