Mr Speaker, the President has indeed gone through a long laundry list of checks and balances that exist in our country to prevent the misuse of public funds. Yet, still, Mr President, far too much public money is wasted in South Africa - money that should be used to improve services for all South Africans.
Mr President, all spheres of government need to redouble their efforts to curb fruitless and wasteful expenditure, and we must guard against new forms of wasteful expenditure. Next year the organisation that you lead, the ANC, will celebrate its centenary. Taxpayers' money is already being used to upgrade infrastructure that will be used during the ANC's birthday celebrations. [Interjections.]
Would you agree that it is wrong to use public money to support this event, either directly or indirectly? If not, why not? And would you agree that spending of this nature should be classified as fruitless and wasteful? [Interjections.]
Would you agree that Ministers, MECs or government officials who have been engaged in such expenditure should be held responsible and criminally liable for this spending, and that the money should be recovered? Thank you very much. [Applause.]