Chairperson, hon Minister and hon members, firstly, I would like to applaud members of the opposition for honestly admitting today that our policy of transformation has benefited them, because if it was not for that, they would not be speaking so freely about transparency and accountability in the way they have spoken today.
Although we are in a sombre mood in this House today, we are reminded that all good things in life never come easily. As we said, transformation would not come easily. People were waiting and crying for water in Mpumalanga and the Northern Province when the drought was killing them, but instead of just water, they got floods and thunderstorms. In fact, they are now complaining about it, even though they do have water. It is the same where transformation is taking place and where we are seeing the fruits of transformation. Instead of delivering, the officials are always undecided, and are stagnating because of their fear that they will trip because they themselves did not undergo a transformation.
I would like to say that since time immemorial, it has been our stand as the ANC that any state assistance or intervention to help the needy should be handled in a structured manner with the aim of eradicating dependency through the involvement of the beneficiaries of that relief programme. When accounting for the success or otherwise of our assistance, we do not rely on the theoretical accounting of the expenditure only, but we have developed a more probing manner which involves examining the transparency, feasibility and effectiveness of the project.
Having a less focused manner of accounting for expenditure in the past led to the notorious project of erecting toilets in the veld being described as a very efficient exercise. It is remarkable that the saga of the toilets in the veld was unearthed by a commission of inquiry, and not a routine report by the Auditor-General.
The unspent portion of the fund allocation for the 1998-99 financial year is a very grave concern for all of us, especially the new Government, which prioritises programmes to assist the poor and the vulnerable. This state of affairs is totally uncalled for, and cannot be condoned at any rate. One therefore calls upon the hon the Minister to read the bible of the Public Service to bureaucrats in the Department of Welfare and simultaneously take urgent steps for the necessary capacity-building and mind-shift to occur in that department. We as public representatives should do our share of the spadework by assisting in enabling CBOs and NGOs to access the welfare assistance in conjunction with the people who need that relief. [Applause.]