The Democratic Alliance in Limpopo calls for an urgent reset of the provincial budget to decisively tackle unemployment, curb wasteful expenditure, and improve service delivery. A fundamental shift is required—one that demands accountability, prioritises infrastructure and investment, and ensures that every rand spent is directed towards creating jobs and delivering essential services.
Creating conditions for investment, growth, and jobs, must be our top priority. It is only through growth and job creation that can we defeat unemployment, poverty, and inequality.
We need to see a comprehensive spending and savings review across all departments, provincial entities, and municipalities. It must be done with a view to closing down failed programmes and projects, ending the duplicity of roles where these exist, cutting unnecessary expenditure, effecting savings, and redirecting funds to essential services and infrastructure that drive economic growth, productivity, and wellbeing.
With respect to the many of our provincial-owned entities (SOE’s) we need to face uncomfortable truths about their continued efficacy and desirability. This includes the likes of like Great North Transport (GNT), Gateway Airports Authority Limited (GAAL), and the Road Agency Limpopo (RAL). Why persevere with RAL when provincial road maintenance is being transferred back to the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure?
The need for increased and targeted infrastructure spending cannot be overstated. Good and expanding infrastructure is a prerequisite for a growing, productive, and competitive environment.
We also call for increased use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), particularly to fund and develop infrastructure, and to recapitalise, expand and operate municipal infrastructure and service delivery.
Finally, whilst this budget will hopefully represent a reset in ideological outlook on budgeting and its priorities, we remain as the DA unconvinced that the ANC-led provincial administration has the capacity, capabilities, and ethics, or political will to properly and effectively oversee its implementation.
At the heart of the problem is the persistent lack of accountability and consequence management within our administration. Corruption and maladministration continue to undermine the impact of our budgets, stunt development, and cripple Limpopo’s growth prospects. We expect accountability—and demand that those guilty of malfeasance face swift and decisive consequences.
If we don’t clean out our administration of the corrupt and recalcitrant, how do we expect to turn our province around?