Chairperson and hon Minister, I would like to say that the IFP will be voting in favour of your Budget Vote today.
However, we do so with a very heavy heart. It is a grudge vote. We are not happy with your performance. We think it is unsatisfactory. I will be fair to the Minister and to his department and say there have been a number of positive initiatives during the course of the year. Not everything is bad news. To be fair let me mention some of these positive things: There is a new equitable share formula; there is the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency, Misa, and there is a regulation of municipal employment by the local municipalities. All these are fine. They are good. We approve of them.
However, the key thing is, it has taken 15 years to get to this stage. For 15 years, we have been complaining about these things in this House. It is only now that you are doing something. If every issue takes 10 years to respond to, what does that say about the effectiveness of this department? [Interjections.] Now Chair, it is a fact ... [Interjections.] Can I beg your protection from this racket, Chair? The rabble ... [Interjections.]