Dear Editor,
The gesture by the Zuma government to rethink government spending particularly with regards to minister's car allowance is a positive development. It signals a new age of a responsive government that is perhaps willing and ready to accept criticism and re-adjust to the concerns of its people.
Collins Chabane, minister in the presidency has revealed that a ministerial task team will be setup to relook at government spending in the context of the economic recession.
Perhaps the government has woken up to the fact that it is these momentous errors of judgement by its leaders that serve as fuel to events such as the recent community uprisings at local level. The recent luxury car splashing by senior ministers has surely been South Africa's own "teachable" moment.
However, the government need not stop at this gesture; a much more serious rethink of its service delivery arm, the local municipality administration is needed. The local government is the point of severe weakness that certainly gives president Zuma sleepless nights.
When the political appointees of the ANC fail to deliver even the most basic of services to their communities, it smacks of a ruling party that is simply unable to govern, an ANC government that faces 20 years of dismal service delivery to its electorate.
It thus remains to be seen whether minister Chabane and Manuel will be able to provide the strategic input that president Zuma's administration seriously needs. The ridiculous car allowance scheme that authorises ministers to buy cars valued at up to 70% of their annual salaries should definitely be scrapped; however the true mark of real progress will be shown by effecting the necessary far reaching changes within the local government's broken machinery.
The citizens of this country deserve technocrats at the lowest level of government that are simply able to get on with the job at hand. If it means that the Zuma administration has to reach outside of the pool of "cadres" and appoint able and qualified people, then this should be done without any delay. If not, an implosion of unimaginable proportions awaits us.
Can this new administration rise above its current challenges and limitations? Will the "alliance partners" be able to put the country ahead of self-interest? It all remains to be seen. I certainly believe this country has the capacity to do the impossible; it just depends on the willingness of those in power to do the right thing.
Pitso Tsibolane
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Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.