Don't blame me - Buthelezi

2003-09-08 12:10

Cape Town - Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi on Monday accused his detractors of attempting to use a delay in the passing of the Electoral Bill to paint him as a "bumbling fool".

The bill has to be promulgated this year to ensure next year's elections can take place.

Speaking at a parliamentary media briefing on his department, Buthelezi blamed the delay on the process to investigate a new electoral system for South Africa.

The task team that carried out the new electoral system study had been delayed for one year, he said.

Cabinet had also decided to adopt the proposals of the minority report produced by the task team.

The delays could not be laid at his door, he said.

'I am not a nigger'

"People are baying for the blood of Mangosuthu Buthelezi to show how he is a bumbling fool. I am not a nigger, with apologies to the black people here, I am not a nigger in the woodpile," he said.

Asked about his absence from a Home Affairs Portfolio Committee briefing on the bill last Tuesday, Buthelezi said he could not be expected to drop his other ministerial duties at a moment's notice.

Parliament's oversight committee chairperson Patrick Chauke accused Buthelezi of not having his "priorities straight".

"I wish Mr Chauke would stop bad-mouthing me. I have a lot of ministerial duties and they cannot pounce on me when I have other duties to perform."

Buthelezi said he had explained to Chauke that neither he nor his Director General, Barry Gilder, was able to attend the meeting.

He said his office was negotiating a more suitable time for the briefing with Chauke.

Grossly understaffed

During Monday's briefing Buthelezi complained that his department was grossly understaffed due to budgetary constraints.

He said of the 7 000 posts in the department 2 000 remained vacant.

"Of these vacancies we only have funding to fill around 370 posts. This has compelled the department to utilise the services of hundreds of volunteers, merely to try to provide at least the most basic of services. This surely cannot be right."

He said a study was being conducted into the personnel required to enable optimal service delivery.

"I am told the indications of this study are that the department will need an establishment of over 11 000 posts."

He said lack of funds and the staffing shortages were the reasons the department was unable to properly perform its duties.

We need more money

"Simply put we are dramatically under-resourced and we need more money and more people."

Commenting on whether his position as leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party was the reason for the many problems experienced by the home affairs department, Buthelezi said he was not "wholly convinced" that this was the case.

He said government was representative of many different political parties that worked together.

"At the end of the day this department reflects the face of government more than any other. At times in the portfolio committee I have been angry and I have said that it is perhaps because I am leader of an opposition party but I'm not wholly convinced that this was the case."

- SAPA