Housing audit needed to address access, accountability
by Adv Boitumelo Babuseng MPL – DA Provincial Spokesperson for Economic Affairs
Date: 09 October 2017
Release: Immediate
Type: Press Statement
The Democratic Alliance calls on the Northern Cape Department of Economic Development & Tourism to cancel an upcoming indaba on renewable energy that has not been budgeted for and will place an unjustifiable burden on the provincial fiscus.
Between R10 million and R12 million was shifted from various programmes within the department to fund this indaba in De Aar. The reason for it being held in De Aar will be to benefit the patronage network established in the province.
The responsibilities for arranging and hosting the renewable energy indaba was outsourced to external service providers, without due tender processes being followed.
At the same time, funding had been sourced from external donors, such as Kumba Iron Ore, to fund an upcoming mining indaba. If officials within the department can source external funding for the mining indaba and if they can arrange and plan the mining indaba, why is it necessary to outsource the responsibilities for the renewable energy indaba?
Along with the Northern Cape Provincial Treasury, this department plays a key role in the implementation of cost containment measures which are there to ensure that public funds are used to public benefit. It is the height of hypocrisy to demand that other departments trim their spending when this department spend money it does not even have.
Media Enquiries
Adv Boitumelo Babuseng MPL
DA Provincial Spokesperson for Economic Affairs
082 302 2117
Tharina Whittaker
Researcher
071 251 5558
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