Legislature must fully account for hard lockdown over-expenditure

30 November 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) wants the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature (NCPL) to fully account for a questionable vehicle rental for the Office of the Speaker over the hard lockdown period. This, after it came to light last week that the Office of the Speaker overspent its first quarterly budget by 12%.

Following replies received during a legislature portfolio committee meeting last week, the legislature conceded that there was indeed over-expenditure during the period from April until June 2020. They indicated that this was largely as a result of a vehicle rental. They said the remainder of the over-expenditure was due to repairs and costs incurred by the Office of the Deputy Speaker. They, however, failed to provide more information.

What the DA finds particularly strange is that the vehicle was rented over the hard lockdown, when travelling was largely halted and by which time the legislature had also instituted virtual meetings and legislative proceedings. At the same time, all other programmes of the legislature had significantly underspent their budgets over this same time period.

The DA is requesting a full report on the first quarter expenditure and has submitted a letter to the Speaker. We specifically want to know how much was spent on the car rental, what purposes this vehicle served and whom it was utilised by.

At a time when the budget has shrunk even further, with government institutions having to get by with significantly less, every cent must be accounted for.

It is therefore more important than ever before that there is full transparency of all government expenditure, not least of all that of the legislature, which is a key oversight body and which should behave in an exemplary fashion when it comes to good, clean, efficient and cost effective governance.

Issued by Harold McGluwa,DA Northern Cape Provincial Chairperson & Chief Whip of the Provincial Caucus, 30 November 2020