CABINET MUST OWN UP

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With some members of our Cabinet  globetrotting in First and Business Class tickets at the expense of the taxpayer, in complete disregard of the financial crisis facing this country, it comes as no surprise that their subordinates are now demanding to enjoy the full benefits of their entitlements.

A wave of bonus demands is paralysing operations across some of the country’s key parastatals, who were instructed by Cabinet not to award employees such entitlement in view of government’s cash flow challenges. However, poor decision making has seen one parastatal enjoy the bonus benefit, thus igniting protests from others who believe they are being discriminated against.

Ordinarily, we should be calling upon the parastatals to be considerate of the current financial position we face as a country, but where do we begin to argue when a Cabinet minister can cause a E1.7 million travel expense while his colleague can lead a kombi-load of CEOs and municipal officials, who can hardly keep our roads free of potholes and the pavements weeded, to board a plane for a workshop in distant Malta, perched at the top of the African continent.

Bearing the brunt of this mismanagement of our economy is the taxed-to-the-bone citizens who now have to contend with essential service disruptions when they need them most. To add salt to injury, people can no longer enjoy the benefit of health services such as the Phalala Fund Referral facility.

We are also confronted with the shortage of drugs in hospitals and clinics, the failure to accommodate the ‘new’ elderly under the social grants scheme, not to mention the number of businesses that have gone for months without pay for services rendered to government. Now the AG faces arrest for accumulating bills as companies seek redress through the courts. 

Farmers, who were keen to catch the current rains, are reportedly sleeping at the RDA depots to line-up for fertiliser and tractor services that were promised but not delivered on time. We knew last year this time was coming, why the chaos now?
Cabinet must own up to the financial crisis and if it seriously wants the support of the nation, it must demonstrate the magnitude of the problem we face by being exemplary, not just in decision making but in implementing everything that needs to be done to save people from possible death.

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