Durban — Leaders who want to see South Africa achieve Nelson Mandela’s dream must not be afraid of taking tough decisions and ensure that corrupt activities and maleficence end and that service delivery and the upliftment of communities prevail.
Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Sboniso Duma made this remark while addressing people at Gamalakhe Sports Field on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast, on Saturday.
Duma implored government employees to comply with all procedures in tendering processes – so that they provide good and proper service delivery. Duma said the time has come to take up arms to fight this scourge, and get rid of all those involved in activities which are aimed at enriching themselves; forgetting about the ratepayers.
“It will take bravery to take the economy and bring it back to our people. We therefore, have to fight this war of ensuring that the economy of our country is distributed equitably.
“Those who still believe they have to get clean audits will never change the lives of our people. A clean audit does not mean good service delivery. You can get a clean audit, but government money still gets stolen,” he said.
Employees who do not do their work must be fired, Duma said. Some government workers wait for the end of the month to get paid.
“It will not be an overnight process to change the systems – but we have to fight very hard to ensure that we change the minds of those government employees who think they can manipulate these systems to favour them, in the process ‘abusing’ the government systems that employ them,” Duma said.
He also touched on his 100 days in office. Duma thanked the Toyota vehicle assembly plant outside Isipingo for ensuring that no employees were retrenched after the April floods.
Duma further criticised those government executives who drive big “German vehicles” instead of supporting the local Toyota car assembly plant, so that more job opportunities are created for local communities.
He emphasised the importance of giving local hemp producers licences so that they plant their hemp, and make a living out of this age-old product “that the black man has been using for medicinal purposes”.
Duma made a call for the government to improve infrastructure such as rail transport, so that truck collisions can be minimised.
“For KZN to blossom, it will take bravery for Ithala Bank to get its licence. We have to work hard to drive the economic transformation as job creation tools, promote trade and investment, and increase tourism prospects,” Duma said.
“KZN continues to be the heartbeat of the African economy, therefore it is the government’s prerogative to ensure that the economy gets shared with the man on the street. We want you to be witnesses of what this government can do, and is doing,” he said.
Daily News