Use your cents wisely at poll

Every rand taken by the government from citizens is a rand they cannot spend, save, or invest on their own affairs. Therefore, the government owes them answers for each one. Emfuleni, a municipality on the Vaal River, has been ruled by the ANC for years. Along Evaton West's streets, raw sewage flows unchecked, and sinkholes mar the roadways.

The repairs to a single street should have cost R19.4 million, yet nearly R50 million was spent, with progress dwindling from 85% to 65%. Money allocated to fix roads, lay pipes, and maintain clinics has disappeared between the budget and the ground. Within the past year alone, R40 billion of this irregular spending has been recorded, alongside an additional R24 billion deemed inefficient.

In 2021, councils nationwide accumulated R145 billion in such irregularities. Discipline is necessary; however, improved financial health in Pretoria has not yet trickled down to job seekers. The unemployment rate has risen to 33.6%, affecting 8.5 million individuals, and among the young, it is even higher at 47.4%, with another 264,000 losing their jobs in a single quarter.

Economic growth stands at 0.5%. A well-run government does make a difference, as evidenced by the audit sheets. In the Western Cape, 20 clean audits were achieved, surpassing all other provinces combined. Midvaal in Gauteng has maintained clean books for 12 years. Nationally, only 39 out of 257 councils manage to pass an audit, and the DA largely controls most of these.

Money funneled to ANC councils often vanishes, while money directed to DA councils yields tangible results such as functional water, roads, and streetlights. The government's expenditure will amount to R432 billion this year, exceeding R1 billion daily, spent on yesterday's borrowing rather than on new schools, police vans, or operational clinics.

Instead of simply reducing the state's spending, the focus should be on spending wisely. This entails scrutinizing public funds contract by contract, asking questions about what was purchased, paid, and delivered, as well as why funds were still being spent on non-deliverables. This responsibility now lies more within the government's capacity to act, rather than its ability.

The government already possesses the data to compare departmental spending, flagging duplicate contracts, inflated prices, and suppliers charging disproportionately high prices in different regions. This is a fight I plan to spearhead. By providing the state with the authority to observe where it is being overcharged across every department and public entity, and the resolve to cease such payments, we can ensure accountability.

Failure to do so has persisted, with the auditor-general repeatedly highlighting the same wastage in the same areas, yet no action has been taken. Treasury rightfully withheld funds from councils repeatedly breaking these rules. Councils must demonstrate the rectification of problems before receiving more funds, and managers who approved faulty tenders should face consequences beyond a mere report.

Parliament must also contribute to this process. Recently, the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town ruled Section 7(4) of the VAT Act as unconstitutional, a case initiated by the DA, and it is now headed to the Constitutional Court. The underlying principle merits defense. Government cannot levy taxes or spend citizens' money without facing scrutiny from the elected parliament.

The ultimate objective is not merely a tidy set of books; rather, it is growth, which begins with money not being squandered. Money recovered from corrupt contracts could fund real developments. A functional town means people can secure employment, rely on reliable water and power supply, and witness tangible outcomes for their tax contributions.

The DA has a proven track record of such achievements, council by council and audit by audit. Therefore, before accepting any promises, one should demand to see the audit. Then, cast your vote for the DA, as every rand counts, along with the hand that spends it.