Gauteng passes adjustment budget of corruption
25 August 2020
Today, the ANC with its single seat majority in the Gauteng Legislature passed what can only be described as its “adjustment budget of corruption”.
The upward adjustment of R4 billion has already seen the wolves trying to break down the door, salivating to get their teeth around these funds – funds whose sole purpose is to fix a broken economy and keep our people safe from COVID-19.
Last week, Gauteng Treasury released its report on PPE spending by this provincial government. Many red flags were raised upon a closer reading of the report and it comes as no surprise that it is riddled with numerous contradictions while highlighting that daylight robbery seems to be the order of the day under the ANC.
To date, National Treasury has not rescinded its emergency procurement instruction which subverts transparency and the safeguards usually in place to safeguard the public purse.
A simple gazette is all that is required to make sure that the green and yellow vultures circling our dying provincial fiscus is safe guarded.
The failure to undertake a simple stoke of the pen calls into question this governments commitment to clamp down on the brazen fleecing of the state at all levels.
The impact COVID-19 has had on our lives is yet to be fully determined but it will pale in comparison to incompetence, bungling, looting and wilful theft which has only been exacerbated by the pandemic.
We have seen the government pay R13 000.00 for a hospital bed spent at the Nasrec field hospital, R65 000.00 for shacks that are being built in Joburg and Tshwane and the sickening irony of R4 million spent on catering for well-paid officials and staff when cooked food wasn’t even allowed to be sold.
These things will pale in comparison compared to what today’s adopted adjustment budget will unleash.
And when the time comes, and our ears are ringing with the hollow words from Captain “in-action” Makhura busy re-arranging the deckchairs while the Titanic Gauteng sinks to her murky death, the DA will be there to make sure no stone is unturned and every last crooked Cadre is brought to book.
Issued by Solly Msimanga,DA Gauteng Caucus Leader, 25 August 2020
