The IFP exposes the ruling party's shocking lack of seriousness about the 2005/2006 budget for KwaZulu-Natal.

The hearings of the Finance Portfolio Committee on the provincial budget are held at the same venues and in the shadow of the public hearings on the provincial Constitution.

"If the members of the Finance Portfolio Committee are lucky, they are allotted 20 minutes for deliberations which will crucially affect the functioning of this province in the next two years," said Dr Lionel Mtshali, MPP, who leads the IFP caucus in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Parliament and chairs the IFP study group on finance.

There have been instances, as on Tuesday in Groutville and yesterday in Greyville when IFP members Anthony Grinker and Sibusiso Ngidi, respectively, attempted to speak up, but were silenced by the committee chairperson, ANC MPP Cyril Xaba.

"The ANC calls this budget People's Budget but they are not taking it seriously," said Dr Mtshali. The IFP also questions the efficiency and cost of holding Finance Portfolio Committee meetings at the same venues as the public hearings on the constitution.