The IFP in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature has questioned the very opportunistic “service delivery” that takes place in wards that will soon have by-elections and it is challenging the KZN Premier, Senzo Mchunu to name those departments that have been assigned to these wards, especially in the uMthonjaneni Municipality. There needs to be full disclosure on exactly how much has been budgeted for these so-called “service delivery” projects from provincial department funds.
“The IFP’s question derives from reports that certain MECs and the Premier will be flocking to the uMthonjaneni Local Municipality in the coming weeks under the guise of “delivering services to the people”.
This is a clear indication that the ANC is using taxpayer’s money to campaign for elections under the guise of service delivery, hoping that those communities could be fooled into voting for the ruling party,” said IFP Leader in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, Mr Blessed Gwala,MPL.
“We are also concerned about the tendency of the Social Development Minister, Bathabile Dlamini, who is consistently visiting wards whenever a by-election is to take place. Recently she has also visited uMthonjaneni and again was distributing food parcels. The Minister is also trying to justify this abuse of public money to attempt to buy votes by calling it “a poverty relief intervention”. We are not against service delivery as that is the job of government, but service delivery must continue on an ongoing basis in all communities and not only when there is a by-election. This is indicative of the levels to which the ANC will stoop in their abuse of state resources for political gain,” said Mr Gwala.
“This is public money, intended for the delivery of critical services, and it is completely illegal to use it for political gain. The abuse of state funds for the benefit of the ANC is illegal, and communities must not be fooled into thinking that the ANC is doing them any favours when, as a government it delivers services to them,” concluded Mr Gwala.
