The following speech was delivered in Parliament today by DA Shadow Minister of Social Development, Lindy Wilson MP, during the Budget Vote on Social Development.
Chairperson,
We have debated the SASSA and CPS shambles at length. But today, let us look at other issues that the poor in South Africa should know about. Let us discuss where public money, which should be supporting the poor, is actually going.
How about the tender awarded to Azande Consulting CC?
This company is being paid R10 million per month to conduct door to door surveys in identified wards, print questionnaires and design and implement detailed project plans.
R10 million could add another 26 000 child grant beneficiaries.
Then you have Tsalena Media – a firm awarded a R44.4 million tender to provide media, events and communication services for 1 year.
That amount could provide an additional 9 700 child grants per month.
Why is the department outsourcing its functions? Why is money wasted on expensive consultants? What are the people employed in this Department doing?
And Chairperson, let’s talk travel.
R16 million on overseas travel and R105 million on local travel for the Department of Social Development in 1 year.
Our jet-setting Minister jets off with a team of no less than 7 Department of Social Development (DSD) delegates at a time, and spends 65 days in New York and Washington at a cost of R8.5 million in one year. The VIP car and transport hire for the Minister and her allies was R1.8 million alone.
I have not even started on trips to Geneva, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Venice, London and several others.
Is this conduct befitting of a Minister who is tasked with serving the poor – globetrotting with friends, while thousands of children die of starvation?
These are the priorities of our ‘Honourable’ Minister.
The Minister cannot tell us that she cares for the poor and vulnerable in this country. Nor can she claim to care about “Radical Economic Transformation” when she allegedly ensured that a Company fronting its BEE status, received a multi-billion Rand tender for grant payments.
Whose side is the Minister really on? Not on the side of the poor.
A DA-led national government will cut back on expensive and wasteful international trips for our Ministers, to ensure that the monies is spent on the people it is supposed to be spent on – the people of South Africa.