DR LPHM MTSHALI MPP
LEADER OF THE OFFICIAL OPPOSITION

Honourable Speaker,

In principle, the Bill that provides for authorisation of unauthorised expenditure was always going to be a bit of a legalistic oxymoron. The Bill may offer a convenient way out of trouble to the government departments that have incurred unauthorised expenditure but, at the same time, it opens the door for further parliamentary scrutiny by the Official Opposition. 

Since 2004 when the ANC came in to power in KwaZulu Natal, this province has acquired a unsavoury reputation for routine unauthorised expenditure. The most serious charge levelled against this government on this score is, of course, the vast sum spent without authorisation and indeed without any supporting documentation by the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs under former Head of Department, Dr Jabulani Mjwara. 

Fair enough, this matter has been subject to a forensic investigation. That is the bright side. The downside is that we have not yet been acquainted with the forensic report. Even more importantly, one is reminded that not even the forensic report - when it finally sees the light of the day in this House - can be relied on to recover the full amount incurred as unauthorised expenditure by the reckless departmental management at Agriculture. 

On a related note, the Official Opposition would like to issue a warning against abusing the Unauthorised Finance Bill. We would like to believe that this piece of legislation will not set a precedent as an escape route from the responsibility of government departments and possibly even this Legislature for running into unauthorised expenditure by pursuing politically-motivated initiatives such as izimbizo and Taking Parliament to the People, funding controversial bodies such as the Youth Commission at the expense of legitimate, yet unbudgeted for, state entities, or paying out disgraced officials with inflated severance packages. 

I thank you.

Contact: Dr LPHM Mtshali, 083 256 4902