JUSTIN ARENSTEIN, Nelspruit | Thursday
MPUMALANGA’S “obscene” R800m budget for a lavish new legislature complex – including 350 imported executive chairs at R12_ 000 each – could instead have been used to repair all flood damaged roads in the province, says Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon.
Leon said it was obscene that “people living less than 20km from this palace for politicians are literally marooned in their villages because government has failed to repair roads damaged in floods over seven months ago.”
The complex near Nelspruit was budgeted to cost R250m in 1997, but construction has instead dragged on for over three years and costs have rocketed to over R800m.
Meanwhile, said Leon, villagers in Gutshwa-Kop are still forced to fetch water from heavily polluted rivers because government has failed to repair bulk water supply pipes destroyed in the flooding in February.
Government has repeatedly refused to comment on the tender, or related tenders for hundreds of exotic rosewood finish desks, lounge sets and other leisure furniture.
Mpumalanga’s public works MEC Steve Mabona estimated flood damage to roads at R825m in March and, the DA said, warned legislature there simply was not enough money to repair the damage.
“So how can Mpumalanga afford the kind of grotesque and unnecessary expenditure we see in this legislature complex?” said Leon.
Pointing out that Mpumalanga had only managed to spend a sixth, or R15m, of the R91m emergency flood relief granted to the province, Leon questioned the priorities of provincial leaders.
“There are alternatives for Mpumalanga. A fully equipped and up-to-date education college currently sits empty nearby after it was phased out. Why not use existing facilities and spend the money where it is really needed – fighting poverty,” said Leon.
Mpumalanga’s legislature, public works and communications departments have all consistently refused to comment on the Riverside complex over the past two weeks.
Finance department reports indicate, however, that government has already spent R560m on construction and expects to spend roughly R865m in total when the first officials move into the complex in January.
Mpumalanga’s finance department has meanwhile diverted R227,6m of unspent poverty relief funds from the 2000/ 2001 budget to its flood relief funds but may be forced to roll the money over unless it is spent soon. – African Eye News Service