Sabelo Zikode of Swalala writes:
I have been reading and hearing on radio that there are budget speeches being delivered at the legislature. But where I live, we have seen little of the outcome from such exercises that are so highly publicised.
To be honest, as a community which attained freedom 21 years ago, we should have benefited a lot by now, but it is the one budget speech after the other, day in and day out, year after year, but it all comes with minimal change.
When it comes to delivery, the blame game starts with ward councillors being accused of not calling meetings within communities. At times we, the community are also accused of not attending meetings and so forth.
I agree that some of it is true, but what is the duty of local government and the provincial government? When they formulate budgets, what is it based on because there should have been prior consultations on priorities?
Lately, the government came up with another excuse that their service-delivery budget is devoured by staff wages which are said to be too high.
Can we have services and less excuses, please?
