Limpopo's bad mess
THE commitment by the Limpopo cabinet to work closely with the national government in trying to put right the financial mess in the province could not have come at a better time.
This follows days of mudslinging and bickering between the provincial leadership and national government.
Provincial ANC leaders have criticised the decision to take over the running of five Limpopo departments as a move by President Jacob Zuma's government to clamp down on all those opposed to his bid for a second term.
Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale and his lieutenants are friends and allies of Zuma's former number one supporter-turned-foe, ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.
On Friday, a day after Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his team had put the administration spanner into action, ANC Limpopo secretary Soviet Lekganyane committed to assist in rescuing the province from a financial mess.
The province has also placed a gag on all MECs and other senior party members, saying they should desist from talking about the placing of departments under administration as the exercise would more likely bring about further anarchy.
The weekend utterances come in the wake of attacks by the provincial ANCWL and ANCYL, who believe the intervention is aimed at dealing with those squaring up to Zuma.
Continued denials would have resulted in the worsening of the already terrible state of service delivery in the province.
Limpopo cannot dispute that it has a shortfall of more thanR2-billion, that the province had an overdraft of over R700-million and that it had unsuccessfully approached a commercial bank for a R500-million more than draft facility. We are, however, disturbed by revelations by Gordhan about the sabotage of services by some officials.
The allegation came as relatives of patients were forced to bring food to hospitals since there were no supplies.
Gordhan has said there was evidence to suggest that certain individuals told service providers to stop food supplies as "they may not be paid".
If this is true, it deserves condemnation, as it is immoral. It means ordinary citizens are becoming victims of political point-scoring. The law must take its course and those found wanting should be punished.
Limpopo is not the only crisis-ridden province. There are others known for habitual profligacy and whose departments also need urgent curatorship.
Swift actions in those provinces will put to rest accusations Limpopo was targeted for narrow political reasons.
NOMMY
Some people have a major problem using issues ass scapegoats. Ke denial ya eng ka gore everybody knows that lots of money has been misused. please let those who have messed up correct their mistakes and stop blaming Zuma for all the mess they created themselves with maladministration. The President was not even there when they they misused the provincial budget and now some people create stories to run away from responsibilities? it is starting to get boring and even more degrading to the provincial leadershipReport Abuse
Mabasa
Nommy i totaly agree with you on that the cabinet of limpopo should take full responsibility for missusing the money zuma was not even thereReport Abuse
Kgaoza606
Remove corrupt Premier Mathale and the dignity of Limpopo will be restored. Him and his son Juju control tenders in the Province and are responsible for bringing the province into disrepute!!!Report Abuse
