25th February 2009

In his final budget speech, MEC for Finance and Economic Development Dr Zweli Mkhize singularly failed to account for the enormous waste the ANC government has unleashed on KwaZulu Natal since 2004 following the fiscal prudence of the last IFP-led administration.

"There was no remorse for the multi-billion rand overdraft incurred by the incumbent ANC government, much of it owing to unnecessary expenditure such as self-promotional advertising, sod turning or peripheral projects," said Leader of the Official Opposition in KwaZulu Natal Dr Lionel Mtshali.

The IFP has reiterated its concern about the financial state of the Department of Health which is responsible for the bulk of the provincial government's over-expenditure. "Health is a case in point, having overspent by R2-billion without fulfilling many of its core functions while running up an advertising bill of R70-million in the past financial year," said Dr Mtshali.  

"MEC Mkhize's excuse for this appalling state of affairs seemed to be the fact that seven out of nine provincial departments of health countrywide have overspent their budgets. This was never the case under the last IFP-led administration. Health is the single biggest challenge for the new provincial government," said Dr Mtshali.

The IFP has also dismissed the MEC's fleeting handling of the financial scandals in the Department of Agriculture and at Ithala as totally inadequate. "Our request for the tabling of the forensic audit report into mismanagement at Agriculture which, among other things, details the unaccounted for expenditure of R80-million, has once again been turned down by the party that professes to be fighting corruption," said Dr Mtshali.

MEC Mkhize likewise ignored the losses incurred by Ithala as a result of bad debt such as the R300-million lost in its botched support for co-operatives or the direct and related party loans granted to senior public servants and politicians including himself and his wife.

"The only undertaking the taxpayers got out of MEC Mkhize with regard to curbing government waste was his reference to Trevor Manuel's stated need to address unnecessary expenditure. Knowing the ANC and their taste for the trappings of power as well as we do, this is and will remain wishful thinking," said Dr Mtshali.

Contact:
Dr Lionel Mtshali,         083 256 4902