Editor – As the IFP, we are deeply concerned about the service delivery cutbacks in the various KZN government departments as a result of funding constraints with regard to the promised payments to izinduna in KwaZulu-Natal.
In the run-up to the 2016 local government elections, izinduna threatened to disrupt the elections if they did not get the salary increase they were promised.
The KZN government requested R1.1 billion from national government to meet the commitment to pay 2039 izinduna. Due to the shortage of funding, the KZN government had to request COGTA to fund 50% of the salaries, with the balance coming from proportional budget cuts from other government departments in the 2017/18 financial year.
In view of this, COGTA proposed that municipal projects to the value of R182 million in 2017/18 be brought to a halt. This has resulted in service delivery at municipal level being severely disrupted.
The IFP believes that izinduna should not be treated as the stepchildren of government. After meeting with izinduna early in 2016, President Zuma made a proclamation to standardise payments to them.
In view of this, we would expect that when funding is being allocated to government departments, salaries for izinduna must be treated in the same way as salaries for all civil servants and factored into the COGTA budget without having to seek ‘donations’ from other government departments.
Now we have a situation where all government departments, especially COGTA, have to cut back on their proposed spending, thereby affecting service delivery.
As a result of this, communities across the province will suffer. We are deeply concerned that the Department of Health had to put forward R100 million and the Department of Education is providing R200 million towards these salary costs.
These are two crucial departments that are facing severe budget constraints and themselves require additional funding.
This is a clear indication that the KZN budget is not being well managed. Once again, the ANC finds itself in a tight spot after making election promises that it cannot fulfil.
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