Hon Chairperson, the EFF will not vote in favour of the Division of Revenue Bill. Fundamentally, we do not believe in the way government's Budget is structured, because it will not respond to the poverty, underdevelopment and inequality of our people. The very fact that the most important sphere of government, which is local government, is receiving less than 10% of the Budget is a problem on its own. This simply means that government is not interested in solving the problems, or bringing services to our people on the ground. The way local government is funded is not the solution.
The South African government still does not have adequate political and technical capacity to spend the money at its disposal. Just recently we saw reports of state departments using the services of consultants to the value of over R30 billion. The government has no adequate plan to deal with the mismanagement of funds by government departments and punishing the guilty parties.
South Africa is facing an economic and social crisis unprecedented in recent history, as a result of bad policy choices made by this very government, coupled with rampant corruption from the highest office in the land to multinational companies operating as if they were in a mafia country. Our revenue base cannot take the load of social pressure emanating from the desires of our people to see the fruits of freedom.
The state is incapable of collecting revenue, especially from the private sector. The move by the government to increase taxes on the already constrained tax-paying citizens, while allowing multinational companies to freely loot our resources through base erosion and profit shifting, is an indication that the ANC has no clue about what needs to be done.
According to the 2014 report by the Alternative Information and Development Centre, Lonmin, a company in which the Deputy President has a vested interest, defrauded our country of funds to the value of R2,3 billion. What a shame! [Interjections.] The government has no plan to deal with the scourge of base erosion and profit shifting, and this is because senior politicians are directly benefiting from the stealing of resources by multinational corporations ... [Interjections.] ... by the looks of the noise they are making here.
The problem of low state revenues can only be solved by introducing strict taxation mechanisms and harsh punishment for companies engaging in illicit financial flows.
With the proper local beneficiation of our own mineral resources, the country can raise enough revenue to make possible free quality education and free quality health services for all of our people.
In the state of the nation address, President Zuma highlighted nine strategic priorities for 2015, but these can never be achieved within the NDP policy framework. The ANC has no clue about how to lead in order to take our country forward.
Minister, ek is bly dat u vandag hier is. Ons moet regtig waar harder werk om skuldige werkers in hierdie departemente, wat letterlik van die armes steel, tronk toe te stuur. Dankie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Minister, I am glad that you are here today. We must really work harder at sending guilty workers in these departments, who are literally stealing from the poor, to jail. Thank you.]