Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, while delivering his national budget speech in Parliament on Wednesday, made a point of replying to a number of South Africans who had sent budgetary suggestions to him under the “Tips for Trevor” programme.
He singled out for particular mention a submission he received from William Makhale from Moroka North in Soweto. “He is a practising traditional doctor,” Manuel told the National Assembly, “and he has asked for money to be allocated for traditional health practitioners, and that the minister of health instruct Salga [the South African Local Government Association] to work with traditional healers to set up clinics of traditional medicine.
“Mr Makhale, thank you for taking the time and effort to hand-write a 99-page submission. I promise that I will pass this on to my colleague.”
More seriously, perhaps, Manuel also thanked the 244 correspondents who sent him advice on options for encouraging energy efficiency on building standards, subsidising solar-powered geysers, supporting the replacement of incandescent lightbulbs or reducing unnecessary energy use in government offices, in mines and factories and in ordinary homes.
“These are issues to which we will return,” Manuel assured them, “once there has been time to absorb and assess reform options more fully.”
He said that there had been some appeals for financial assistance in purchasing electricity generators. But he added: “Several correspondents have also pointed out that subsidising fossil-fuel-burning generators would send out the wrong signal in the light of environmental considerations.”
He said he was particularly struck by a tip from Lebo Monyatsi, who said she was a faithful tither in her church, which is, she said, in compliance to God’s instructions in the Book of Malachi, which advises that when we pay our tithes, God will rebuke the devourer.
“And surely,” Monyatsi said, “the taxman is a devourer.” She wanted people who paid tithes to be given a tax rebate.
Manuel found another pair of biblical quotations for reply. He pointed out that St Paul’s letter to the Romans confirmed that “rulers are not a terror to good works”, and contained an injunction to “render therefore to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.”
The minister’s quick dispatch of such tips did not stop one bold freelance woman journalist from injecting her own tip for Trevor into a question at his media briefing. She wanted to advise him to offer a tax rebate to working mothers to help them pay for childcare.
He said she should submit it officially as a tip, and he would think about in time for his next year’s budget. — I-Net Bridge
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