It is rare that a government directive is welcomed across the political divide as well as business. One such order came last week when premier Oscar Mabuyane instructed municipalities to stop hosting events outside the Eastern Cape.
The announcement resonated well with political parties and the business community. Dare we say sanity has finally prevailed.
Municipalities are at the coalface of service delivery and yet it is well documented that many of them are in shambles. Poor roads riddled with potholes, lack of clean drinking water, raw sewage running in some backyards, and a shortfall in proper sanitation are all too familiar in several municipalities.
Others are still plagued by unauthorised, fruitless, irregular, and wasteful expenditure resulting in national Treasury taking a drastic action to withhold their equitable share.
Regardless of all these shortcomings some still see it fit and proper to waste money travelling to other provinces to host conferences and strategic sessions.
We doubt if they would do the same if funds for such junkets were coming from their pockets.
With all the wrongs that residents endure every day, we will be excused that the so-called strategic sessions are as good as holiday for the politicians and municipal authorities.
How did this unethical spending come about?
Many municipalities have long argued that they occasionally host events outside their jurisdictions when there were venue capacity constraints in local venues.
While there is a degree of merit in that argument, it is illogical to take the events outside the province. The Eastern Cape has hosted several national events, surely it can’t fail to do so for a municipal gathering.
We wonder for how long such practices have been going on. Whatever the case, noticing a gap in suitable venues should have triggered a discussion about investing in conference infrastructure in the respective municipalities.
Those in power should have explored private-public investment opportunities so that suitable venues are built in their respective areas.
The Eastern Cape battles unemployment hovering around 45%. Investing in infrastructure will go a long way in addressing this problem.
It is basic knowledge that every rand spent by the state has the potential to support local jobs, sustain businesses and contribute to the growth of the provincial economy.
Improved venues would not only serve government but also attract private sector conferences, sporting events and tourism, creating a multiplier effect for local economies.
Mabuyane’s directive sends the right signal: public money should strengthen the economy of this province before benefiting others.
SA and indeed our province does not have a shortage of policies and clear directives. However, we always fall flat at implementation. Is there a political will to enforce this new order? Only time will tell.
Daily Dispatch
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