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OPINION: Financial priorities for the state

A few days ago we heard how the state will downsize the Cuba doctors’ programme.

Over the past 22 years, South Africa has been sending medical students to Cuba, which costs billions of rands.

I totally get that the state never has ‘enough’ money to take care of the basic needs of its citizens, I can live with that.

But then the money that is available should prioritise those basic needs before anything else, right?

I completely understand the argument that the programme is quite frankly ‘too expensive’.

But money is getting ‘lost’ from government every day, and not much is done to recover it.

And then how much money is being spent on recruiting for the army?

Do we really need a bigger army, more than we need doctors?

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was allocated R46.8-billion in the 2017/18 period.

Also, do we really need SAPS, EMPD and Gauteng Traffic Police, all present in Kwatsaduza?

How different are their mandates?

Is there any duplication in the work?

We don’t have enough money to keep this many balls in the air.

Therefore, we need to be sober about, not just what we need, but what we need more.

Many of these programmes need to be revisited, and their relevance challenged.

Whether they are downsized or completely shut down depends on merit and priority.

And the corrupt criminals who have their hands in the cookie jar cannot just resign and leave us broke.

They must pay.

I am not talking about anyone in the North West.

But it has become a trend.

People steal money, then they are found out, then they resign and left alone to go about their lives.

No! Asinayo imali yoku dlala. (We don’t have money to play with.)

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