MPs want Senzo Mchunu to act on his promises

Words will never fill the empty stomachs of poor South Africans.

This was the warning by DA MP Leon Schreiber to Senzo Mchunu shortly after the public service and administration minister delivered his budget vote in the National Assembly on Thursday afternoon.

“If words were all it took to fill the empty bellies of hungry children and bank accounts of poor South Africans, then our country would be heaven on earth,” said Schreiber.

He added that, soon enough, citizens would get tired of the government's empty promises.

“People cannot pay their home loans with promises. This government will soon find that words alone are not good enough,” he said.  

Earlier the minister had told parliament that a total of R526m had been allocated jointly to the department of public service & administration and the CPSI for the 2021/22 financial year.

The departments’ national school of government will be working with a budget of R210m while the public service commission has been allocated a budget of R282m.

During his address, Mchunu did not address the controversial topic of the public sector negotiations, only saying: “Currently the government and organised labour in the public service are in negotiations and we hope that parties will find one another.”

Responding, ANC MP Tokyo James said the ANC was committed to achieving a developmental state.

James, who supported Mchunu’s budget, said it was important for the public service to enhance skills, change the morale and define lines of accountability.

EFF’s Ciliesta Motsepe said the department of public service had drifted from its mandate.

“Public servants who are trained to deliver services are forced to push tender papers every day while the majority of the work is outsourced to contract workers and consultants.”

IFP’s Narend Singh said the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic had placed a strain on the country’s resources.

“However, it cannot be used as an excuse for failing government to use available resources and government funds effectively as the government is constitutionally mandated to do.”

Singh said the cost of corruption was felt deeper by the country’s most vulnerable citizens. The IFP said it would support the budget as the department had a lot of work to do to turn things around.

Deputy minister of public service Sindi Chikunga said the pandemic has highlighted challenges that require urgent attention.

“The pandemic has taught us that we need more evidence-based decision making and has made government more responsive driven.”

TimesLIVE