Agb Speaker, plaaslike regering in Suid- Afrika is besig om in duie te stort. Agterstallige dienstegelde van munisipaliteite beloop al R86 miljard. Ek het reeds in 1997 gewaarsku dat die regeringsvlak wat gaan inplof die plaaslike regering gaan wees omdat dienstegelde nie betaal word nie. Dit is nou 16 jaar later en dit is besig om te gebeur.
Behalwe swak dienslewering weens onkundigheid en onbevoegdheid as gevolg van kaderontplooiing, bestaan daar 'n kultuur van nie-betaling van dienstegelde. Hierdie kultuur was deur die ANC se "civic" [burgerlike] organisasies in die aanloop tot 1994 geskep. Die ANC-regering kon sedertdien nie daarin slaag om hierdie kultuur in 'n verantwoordelike betalingskultuur te omskep nie.
Die regering self stel die swakste voorbeeld van wanbetaling. In die Matlosana-munisipaliteit wat Klerksdorp, Stilfontein, Orkney en Hartebeesfontein insluit, is die uitstaande gelde vir elektrisiteit van staatsdepartemente tot einde Februarie amper R49 miljoen. Eskom wil nou die krag vir Klerksdorp afsit want hy betaal nie sy elektrisiteitsrekeninge nie.
Die Departemente van Openbare Werke - ek sien die Minister is hier - Gesondheid, Onderwys en Vervoer betaal net eenvoudig nie hul rekeninge nie. As die staat so 'n swak voorbeeld stel, hoekom sal ander wanbetalers dan besluit om te betaal? Die werklikheid is dat getroue betalers en die ekonomie van 'n plek soos Klerksdorp tot stilstand sal kom as gevolg van die traak-my-nieagtige houding van die regering se staatsdepartemente.
Ek doen 'n ernstige beroep op die agb Ministers wat hier is om hul departemente aan te spreek. As die kragtoevoer afgesluit word, moet die mense weet dat dit weens die laksheid van hierdie agb Ministers is wat hier sit en niks doen nie. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans member's statement follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD (FF Plus): Hon Speaker, local government in South Africa is collapsing. Arrears in respect of municipal service fees already amount to R86 billion. As early as 1997 I had warned that the level of government that would implode would be local government because of the nonpayment of service fees. It is now 16 years later, and this is happening.
Apart from poor service delivery due to ignorance and incompetence resulting from cadre deployment, there is also an existing culture of nonpayment of service fees. This culture was created by the ANC's civic organisations in the run-up to 1994. Since then the ANC-led government could not manage to transform this culture into a responsible culture of paying.
The government itself sets the worst example of nonpayment. In the Matlosana Municipality, which includes Klerksdorp, Stilfontein, Orkney and Hartebeesfontein, the electricity arrears for government departments up to the end of February amount to almost R49 million. Now Eskom wants to cut off the power to Klerksdorp because it does not pay its electricity accounts.
The Departments of Public Works - I see the Minister is here - Health, Education and Transport simply do not pay their accounts. If government sets such a poor example, why would other defaulters then decide to pay? The reality is that loyal payers will stop paying and the economy of an area such as Klerksdorp will come to a standstill as a result of the nonchalant attitude of government departments.
I would like to seriously call on the hon Ministers who are here to address this issue in their departments. If the power supply is cut off, the people have to know that it is as a result of the slackness of these hon Ministers who sit here and do nothing. I thank you.]