Mr Chair, regarding the additional transfers of about R1,5 billion to provinces, hopefully to throw some good money towards coping with massive overexpenditure in certain departments of KwaZulu- Natal, specifically, goes way beyond possible virement. In KwaZulu-Natal, with such great shortages, the executive could nevertheless still find money for large advertisements to congratulate the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal on his 60th birthday. If the hon Minister would agree that such self- congratulatory adverts were totally unacceptable and unheard of, I would like to ask him if he would look seriously into fruitless, irregular and unauthorised expenditure in KwaZulu-Natal, specifically from the Premier's side.
UNGQONGQOSHE WOHULUMENI BEZIFUNDAZWE KANYE NABASEMAKHAYA: Sihlalo, siyabonga kumnumzane uBekker. Ngiyathemba uyazi ukuthi isifundazwe nesifundazwe sizimele ngokuthi imali yaso siyenzenjani. Uhulumeni lo kazwelonke akanalo ilungelo lokutshela isifundazwe ukuthi masenzenjani ngemali yaso. Yinto eyenziwa yisifundazwe leyo, kodwa-ke, uma ngabe kukhulunywa ngokuthi uNdunankulu waKwaZulu-Natali uye wakhipha izikhangiso enza lokho okuyilungelo lakhe, mina angiboni ukuthi kukhona okubhimbayo kule nto ayikhulumayo ikakhulukazi uma ngabe uthola ukuthi uhulumeni wenza leyo nto futhi ndaba leyo kungekahulumeni.
Ngiyethemba kuyenzeka esikhathini esiningi lapho uthola ukuthi khona, abantu bayakwazi ukufaka izikhangiso ezintweni ezikhona, kodwa-ke, odabeni lokuthi ngabe lokhu kwenziwe kuhulumeni noma ukwenze eseceleni siyokubuka lokho. Sizokwazisa ngempela impendulo yakhona. Kunjalo-ke baba uBekker. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[The MINISTER FOR PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Chairperson, I thank Mr Bekker. I hope that he knows that each province is independent and that provinces decide how to spend their allocation. The national government cannot dictate how provinces must spend their allocation. That is decided at provincial level. If there are issues raised due to the KwaZulu-Natal Premier having sent out advertisements - which is within his rights - I do not see anything wrong with what he is saying because it relates to government.
I hope that this happens regularly where you find that people do place advertisements of actualities, whether he did this as part of government or as an individual, we will look into that. We will let you know about the outcome. That is the position hon Bekker. Thank you.]
Vote No 30 - Public Enterprises: