Tag: wasteful expenditure

Those in the know say building a house can cost anything from R10,000 to R20,000 per square meter. Factors such as location, quality of the material used, and design complexity can significantly raise costs. High-end houses can cost upwards of R25,000 per square meter. It is a hefty price to pay, but one well worth it.

Austerity does not need to mean suffering. Cutting public spending is urgent to address South Africa’s growing debt. Delaying cuts will only worsen debt and interest payments, making future cuts more severe. Reducing spending needn’t harm South Africans, as many wasteful expenses can be removed. In 2023, the Democratic Alliance (DA) estimated that the African National Congress (ANC)-led departments wasted around R40 billion in 2022/23 alone.

Starting a new business is an exhilarating venture, filled with both opportunities and challenges. However, the path to success requires more than just a great idea - it demands a strategic approach, careful planning, and the ability to adapt to evolving market conditions. 

In the challenging economic circumstances that South Africa currently faces, the impact of fiscal responsibility – the balanced use of government spending and tax to influence the economy – on taxpayers, businesses, and the nation's overall economic well-being cannot be overstated.

We urge government to fast track professionalisation of local government finance units. This follows the Auditor-General (AG), Tsakani Maluleke’s presentation on the 2021-22 Local Government Audit Outcome to the Standing Committee of the Auditor-General (SCOAG) on Wednesday, 31 May which continues to reflect poor audit outcomes as a result of poor financial planning, inadequate financial controls, skills and capacity, governance and accountability.

Just days after Mpho Phalaatse was removed as Johannesburg’s mayor, a letter to all municipal entities surfaced on social media, in which the Acting City Manager of Johannesburg instructs the boards of municipal entities to cease holding any “strategic sessions, including the [sic] Board and Sub-Committee meetings” until further notice.

The 2019-20 local government general report released by the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) on 15 June continues to emphasise the lack of accountability and consequence management in local government which impacts service delivery and municipal finance management.

The proposal for a universal basic income grant (BIG) has been on the table for almost 20 years. It was first recommended by the Committee of Inquiry (Taylor Committee) into a Comprehensive System of Social Security for South Africa in 2002, after a number of civil society organisations had petitioned for it on account of persistent poverty and structural inequality.

The municipal skills shortage has reared its nasty head again. This was identified  by the Auditor General (AG), Ms. Tsakani Maluleke, who briefed parliamentary committees on the 2019/20 local government audit outcomes and the COVID-19 relief funds expenditure in a session on 22 June 2021.

Government's first duty is to protect the rights of citizens. Instead, ours has prioritised yet another bailout of R10.5 billion for the failed South African Airways (SAA), with a further R6.5 billion in the pipeline. This while citizens die in hospitals lacking basic personal protective equipment, staff and oxygen supplies, and there remains no vaccine on the horizon.