DR LPHM MTSHALI MPP
LEADER OF THE OFFICIAL OPPOSITION

Honourable Speaker,

The “very good economic reasons” given by the MEC for Finance and Economic Development as an excuse for most instances of appropriation, are too often a mere codeword for profligacy, misplaced priorities, and, on the whole, rather bad economic reasons. It is on these grounds that the Official Opposition will oppose most of the votes in question. Let me get straight to the point. 

Vote 1: Office of the Premier 

Programme 2: The projected over-expenditure of R9.9-million attributed to service delivery projects and transversal Communication initiatives will not be supported by the Official Opposition. Funds should not be placed on the Budget Estimates Bill for izimbizo and other initiatives which do not contribute to tangible service delivery to desperate starving communities and those infected and affected by HIV/Aids and opportunistic infections. 

Programme 3: The Official Opposition will not support additional funds for allocation to the Human Rights division to promote the Youth Commission extravaganza, seeing that legitimate public entities such as the provincial and local Houses of Traditional Leaders remain unbudgeted for. 

Vote 2: Provincial Legislature 

Programme 1: The additional amount of R10.6-million to fund the cost of the feasibility study for the proposed Legislature Complex will not be supported by the Official Opposition. The IFP’s principled position is an outright rejection of an additional parliamentary complex given the existence of two adequate venues currently available to the KwaZulu Natal Provincial Parliament. 

Programme 2: Over-expenditure anticipated in respect of public participation will not be supported by the Official Opposition because Taking Parliament to the People, Workers’ Parliament, Women’s Parliament and Youth Parliament have all opened the floodgates for sleaze and failure, on the part of this Legislature’s administration, to account for expenditure by means of supporting documentation. 

Vote 3: Agriculture and Environmental Affairs 

Programme 2: The allocation of R8.4-million to Mjindi Farming was not appropriated by this House as part of Agricultural Development Services. The Official Opposition therefore will not support this Adjustments Estimate to rectify what we see as a serious violation of protocol and responsibilities of this House. 

Vote 6: Provincial Treasury 

Programme 3: The IFP’s principled position is that the allocation of additional funds in the Adjustments Estimate to cover the feasibility study for the Provincial Government Precinct be not supported. The Official Opposition contends that a political debate has not taken place in this House on issues of desirability and feasibility of such ambitious projects that do not have a direct bearing on service delivery in this province. 

Vote 11: Local Government and Traditional Affairs 

Programme 4: The mid-term expenditure review reflects a projected over-expenditure due to some extent to the delivery of houses for Amakhosi.

Our principled position is that the provision of housing for Amakhosi is not a priority. On the contrary, the funding of the House of Traditional Leaders, as a public entity, is urgent in compliance with the PFMA, schedule 3. 

Vote 12: Transport 

Programme 3: The Official Opposition will not support the Transportation programme on account of the transfer of R24-million as a once-off injection to the eThekwini Municipality to salvage - with public funds - an inefficient and poorly administered private concern trading as Durban Transport. 

Honourable Speaker, having said all this, the Official Opposition hopes the MEC for Finance and Economic Development will use his speaking time in response to elaborate just how good really are the economic reasons he has given for these instances of appropriation. I can assure you that these reasons are fahey are purely political! 

I thank you.

Contact: Dr LPHM Mtshali, 083 256 4902