The Standing Committee on Appropriations yesterday hosted a budget dialogue on the 2018 Appropriations Bill [B3-2018], with the aim of deepening public involvement in the Appropriations process.
The Appropriation Bill sets out to appropriate money from the National Revenue Fund for the requirements of the state and to prescribe conditions for the spending of funds withdrawn.
Mr. Thembani Jerome Ngongoma, national spokesperson for the Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA, said that he was thankful to have been invited to the national dialogue, since local government does not always afford citizens the opportunity to participate in these important processes. Mr Ngongoma said: “Our cities and municipalities do not recognise us; they do not even invite us in these spaces. So, often the eThekwini municipality will ask us ‘Who do you think you are to meet the mayor?’.”
Mr Ngongoma described the Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA as a grassroots and democratically social membership-based movement for impoverished shack dwellers. The movement was formed to fight for, protect, promote and advance the interests and dignity of the shack dwellers and the poor in South Africa.
Providing inputs on the 2018 Appropriations Bill, Mr Ngongoma said that the biggest challenge is that budgets are not properly spent, especially at local government level. Advocating for an increase in oversight over municipal spending, he said: “Monies that are meant to improve the lives of ordinary voting citizens end up in the pockets of certain individuals.”
The mismanagement of municipal funds was said to be the main reason behind violent protests, with Mr Ngongoma saying: “No living and sane individual member of the public may just wake up in the morning and blockade the road with burning objects, risk being teargassed, sjamboked, arrested, shot at with rubber bullets, risk injury and even death just for the fun of it.”
According to Mr Ngongoma, the expectations of shack dwellers and ordinary citizens is that both national and local government budgets should speak to:
- Land first: the budget, if communicated properly to us, will deal with security of tenure. This could be in a form of certificates or documents, which will free people from any possible eviction. If this is catered for, people will start investing on the land and start looking after their property.
- The provision of serviced sites for those who may be able to build for themselves to do so.
- The roll-out of interim services, such as electricity, road access, refuse collection, water and sanitation, while people wait for decent housing.
- A budget for disaster management especial for shack fires, floods, etc.
In thanking the committee for the opportunity to participate in the appropriations process, Mr Ngongoma said that Abahlali baseMjondolo looks forward to continuous engagements for the sake of peace, development and prosperity for all deserving and voting citizens in South Africa, particular those who live in shacks.
Felicia Lombard
17 March 2018
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