MEC Creecy’s budget offers nothing new but hides a multitude of sins
15 November 2018
Gauteng Finance MEC, Barbara Creecy’s budget speech might have sounded good. But truly speaking, it was not new. There is no new infrastructure, there will be no new jobs. Indeed, it would be interesting to compare previous years’ speeches to see how much was the same. To make matters worse, there were some shocks when you unpack what is in the actual budget, as opposed to what was in her speech.
The first shock is that the MEC has shifted R1.2 billion from unspent infrastructure money from past years to the inefficient Departments of Health and Education to pay for the salary increases that Minister Mboweni refused to pay for.
Of this, R81 million will go toward funding Cuban doctors while thousands of locally qualified doctors are not being allocated posts are being forced to sit at home or emigrate to seek work.
She claimed that R92 billion will be spent on infrastructure development. But this is not new money. It is simply the current budgets for the next 3 years of the provincial government plus all the local governments in Gauteng. No new infrastructure means no new access to jobs. Indeed, this amount has not increased from past years but has actually decreased.
From her feeble admission on the collapse of failing ANC-run municipalities like Emfuleni and Merafong who have squandered money on VBS and other corrupt deals, it is clear the MEC does not hold the political clout in the failing ANC to arrest the rot. She is not invoking powers that exist in the Municipal Finance Management Act and the Constitution and other laws. In fact, the Gauteng Provincial Government is being used as a shield for these dysfunctional municipalities. Clearly, she is happy to let those implicated in maladministration and corruption to continue in their posts. Clearly, she doesn’t care about the lack of service delivery. Clearly, she doesn’t care about the workers that have not been paid salaries.
Earlier this year, after announcing that Emfuleni would be placed under administration, the MEC has dragged her feet on completing a financial recovery package for the municipality.
In the meantime, Merafong and the West Rand District municipality have now also sunk to the point where they should be placed under administration. Both municipalities illegally invested millions with the now defunct VBS bank and have reached a point where they are unable to pay salaries to staff.
R200 million is needed to be found to pay out the families of the victims of Esidimeni tragedy, which we support. But this arose from the murderous decision of the former Health MEC and current ANC Gauteng PEC member, Qedani Mahlangu and a complicit Premier, David Makhura.
Despite the Premier’s insistence that e-Tolls must go, which has contradicted his counterparts in national government, MEC Creecy said nothing new. No indication was given of any challenge to the decision. No consideration was given to the termination of the contract that results in 93% of all money going to an overseas agent, whose contract ends in December and should not be renewed – a clear indication that once again this is yet just another emotive tool to be used by the failing ANC in the build up to the elections and that under this government, e-Tolls are here to stay.
We welcome the announcement of an addition of R300 million to upgrade and maintain roads in the province. This will go a long way in addressing the many issues faced by road users in the province.
While trying to paint a rosy picture to the people of Gauteng, MEC Creecy’s budget has glaring holes in it.
A DA government would ensure that a provincial budget would end corruption, provide fair access to real, long-term jobs and speed up the delivery of basic services for all the people of Gauteng.
Issued by Mike Moriarty, DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Finance, 15 November 2018
