Cut down on splurging

EVERY right minded taxpayer would have been envious of their Western Cape counterparts if they had read Rapport’s article over the weekend about the steps that Western Cape Premier Helen Zille has taken to cut down unnecessary spending by politicians in that province.

“A strict financial diet” is how Rapport described Zille’s move, which includes bringing an end to the use of expensive official vehicles (the Premier will now be carted around in a Toyota), a reduction in glossy advertisements to promote ministerial departments, and having biscuits and tea instead of costly meals at five-star hotels when Western Cape MECs make their budget announcements.

Official budget announcements are now being held in the MECs’ conference rooms.

Zille’s provincial Cabinet members are also being driven around in the government garage’s fleet of second-hand vehicles – which had been used by the previous ANC provincial government.

Rapport reported that the Mercedes C230 that Western Cape Health MEC Theuns Botha uses already had 230000km on its clock.

It was said that Zille’s financial diet has already resulted in savings of R3million in one week for the province.

Zille said according to calculations each provincial department would be saving at least R250000 by cutting down on lavish entertainment – a total saving of R2.5m. And by opting for a less glamorous opening of the Western Cape parliament Zille has already put at least R500000 back in the coffers of the province’s taxpayers.

She has cut her own budget for meals from R270000 to R26000.

Anyone concerned about the economy, the ever increasing unemployment figures and rising poverty should compare Zille’s budget cuts with what’s been happening in other provinces. They will find, for instance, that in sharp contrast to Zille’s cuts, Gauteng provincial ministers have used their new found powers to buy official vehicles at about R960000 each.

Even ANC supporters and the ruling party’s alliance partners in the trade union movements – and Communist Party too – should take umbrage about this kind of spending.

This has nothing to do with party ideology. The other provincial leaders should know that the electorate will compare them to Zille.

Zille’s budget cuts should be an example to political leaders, who purport to have compassion for the less privileged.

During their respective election campaigns all political parties pledged to alleviate poverty. If all provinces followed Zille’s example and cut down on extravagant spending and began walking the talk, the greater the chance of realising these promises.