Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha. Picture: Gallo Images
In an endeavour to cut costs and prioritise service delivery in one of South Africa’s poorest provinces, Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha says there will be no inauguration party for him this year. Unlike other provinces that are spending millions of rands for inaugurations of premiers and mayors, Mathabatha said the money set aside for the jamboree would rather be channelled to service delivery.
“I can now say with paramount confidence that under the tutelage of Mathabatha, Limpopo has now mastered the art of doing more with little,” said his spokesperson Kenny Mathivha yesterday.
Mathivha confirmed the premier had been inundated with calls about the inauguration date and venue.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the official opposition in the province, was ecstatic about the move.
“This is the first good step Mathabatha took since his appointment as premier by former president Jacob Zuma in 2013,” EFF Limpopo chairperson Jossey Buthane said yesterday.
“His decision to channel the inauguration money to service delivery shows beyond any shadow of doubt that Mathabatha is beginning to take his job seriously.”
Last week, the Democratic Alliance (DA) revealed that more than R68 million was spent by the Limpopo department of cooperative governance to complete 869 RDP houses that were either abandoned or left incomplete. In Sekhukhune alone, 73 RDP houses were left incomplete.
Some residents who spoke to The Citizen yesterday said the inauguration budget should be used to complete RDP houses, drill boreholes, maintain roads, renovate dilapidated schools or train a new crop of councillors and MECs in an effort improve local governance.
The Limpopo DA also welcomed Mathabatha’s stand, saying this was a sign of growth.
– news@citizen.co.za
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