By Obakeng Maje
The DA in the North West Provincial Legislature opposed the adoption of North West Appropriation Bill on Tuesday.

The DA raised its concerns about an amount of R176 million appropriated for the employment of 20 000 people in the months preceding the still to be announce 2014 General Elections.

“The MEC, obviously not knowing when the elections will take place indicated that the temporary employment will continue in the new financial year and that it may cost more than a half billion. (R528million)” DA Chris Hattingh said.

The MEC failed to indicate what the associated cost in managing 20 000 people will be.

“Indications of the pre-election desperation that has set in in the NW Provincial Government as the elections are approaching were already filtering through during the past week where NGOs were reporting that they have been told to accommodate temporary workers for at least the next 6 months” Hatingh said.

The to be employed people were not allocated to programs or projects linked to the different NW Departments, but were allocated on a pro rata basis to the four North West Districts with no criteria available on how these allocations were made, says Hattingh.

He said the funds to pay for this project mainly come from the lack on performance on NW infrastructure projects – something the NW has become notorious for.

“In view of the recent deployment of 180 people – 20 for each vacant ward in the Tlokwe Municipality by the Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, in the run-up to the Tlokwe by-elections and the blatant abuse of state resources for ANC campaigning purposes, the DA has no expectations that the employment of the 20 000 people in the run-up to the elections, will not be abused for ANC electioneering purposes” Hattingh said.

The DA will closely monitor this scheme and will not hesitate to report evidence of abuse to relevant authorities.-TDN
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