18th February 2009 

The IFP contends it could not have been easy to put a positive spin on the disaster that has been his government since 2004 but, in his final State of the Province Address, Premier Sibusiso Ndebele did his best.

"We found the Premier's usually boastful tone strangely subdued in an election year. Clearly the reality of vast government overdraft, unprecedented waste and corruption reaching to the highest echelons of government has begun to bite," said Leader of the Official Opposition in KwaZulu Natal Dr Lionel Mtshali.

Dr Mtshali also said:
"Speaking of a 'healthy province' is a travesty while state hospitals are grinding to a halt, operations are being cancelled under crippling shortages of basic medical equipment and doctors and nurses continue to leave the public sector in droves.

"One can hardly speak of food security with a straight face as South Africa became a net importer of agricultural products in 2007 for the first time in more than 20 years. The government's grossly mismanaged land reform has devastated KwaZulu Natal's commercial farming and lost the province thousands of jobs.

"Corruption has been the order of the day with a member of the provincial cabinet (MEC for Health) awaiting trial. Premier Ndebele has consistently shielded fraudsters by withholding forensic audit reports from the public scrutiny and axed everyone who seemed to be probing his government's conduct too deep.  

"In short, the ANC government's towering R2-billion budget overdraft coupled with unprecedented waste and pervasive corruption is hardly the 'foundation for a democratic and prosperous KwaZulu Natal' Premier Ndebele claims to have laid." 

The IFP will give a comprehensive response to the Premier's address in tomorrow's parliamentary debate.

Contact:
Dr Lionel Mtshali,    083 256 4902