M Coleman: Provincial Legislature Adjustment Budget 2007/08

22 November 2007

'Always stretching our arm to accelerate service delivery'

Madam Speaker
Honourable Premier
Colleagues in the Executive Council
Honourable Members of the Legislature
The Director-General
Head of Department (HOD) of the Department of Finance
Other HODs present
Distinguished guests
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen

Madam Speaker, Honourable Members of this august house, I wish to thank you
for the opportunity allowed my department to present to you the proposals for
the Adjustment Budget for the 2007/08 financial year. In terms of the budget
process, Madam Speaker, the provincial administration must review its
performance after the first six months of the financial year so that corrective
action can be taken where it is necessary. This must be done after six-months,
and not after a full year, because, as in the words of John Newton, "We can
easily manage, if we only take each day, the burden appointed for it, but the
load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday's burden over again today
and then add the burden of the morrow to the weight before we are required to
bear it."

However, honourable members, our experience as politicians is that we are
constantly called upon to identify the problems of tomorrow by analysing the
problems of today. In deed, we will be compounding the situation if we still
have the problems of the past to deal with. This then makes it important for us
to firstly deal with our recent past, which is the first months of the current
financial year. As the first six months of this financial year has been
influenced and impacted upon by specific trends in the economy, allow me to
briefly outline certain economic specifics first.

Population size

Honourable members, let me start by commending Statistics South Africa for
conducting a successful Community Survey 2007. The survey indicates that from
census of 2001 the population of Mpumalanga has increased by 8,2 percent, from
3 365 385 to 3 643 435. The provincial population comprises 92 percent Blacks,
6,8 percent Whites, 0,8 percent coloureds, and 0,4 percent Indians.

Education

The results of the survey also indicate an increase in college, university /
technikon attendance by persons up to 24 years of age, enrolment in colleges
increased from 0,8 percent in 2001 to 1,5 percent in 2007, while university /
technikon attendance increased from 0,7 percent in 2001 to 1,1 percent in
2007.

Notable from the report is the growth in secondary schooling, country-wide,
among persons aged 20 years and older: 33,6 percent in 1996, to 40,1 percent in
2007. There is a significant decrease in the percentage of the population, 20
years and older, with no schooling, since 1996.

In 1996 those with no schooling accounted for 19,1 percent, and decreased to
17,9 percent in 2001, and to 10,3 percent in 2007. In 2007, 9,1 percent of
persons aged 20 and above had completed higher education, against 8,4 percent
in 2001 and 7,1 percent in 1996.

I also deem it necessary, Madame Speaker, to indicate to this Honourable
house other findings of the report which I believe, like in the case of
education, is indicative of how much we have achieved towards our aim of 'a
better life for all.' A major finding is the impact of housing development.

The impact of housing development

The number of households increased from 669 884 (7,4 percent of country
total) in 1996, to 785 433 (7,0 percent) to 940 403 (7,5 percent). The number
of informal dwellings decreased from 13,9 percent in 1996 to 12,4 percent in
2007, while the number of traditional dwellings decreased from 19,5 percent in
1996 to 6,7 percent in 2007.

Madame Speaker, the impact of housing development is in the local economy,
into which investments are made, jobs are created, and the local labour becomes
healthier because living conditions are being constantly improved.

The economy of Mpumalanga

As reported in our presentation of the Main Appropriation Budget in March
2007, according to Statistics South Africa Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fourth
quarter report 2006, our economy grew at a rate of 4,3 percent, with the
largest contributor being the manufacturing industry, with mining and quarrying
contributing 18,5 percent.

Finance, real estate and business services contributed 11,4 percent to the
GDP, whereas the construction industry contributed the lowest at 1,5 percent.
What was not available at the time of presenting the Main Appropriation was the
economy per district.

Economic Development per District

Global Insight Southern Africa- in its report, Regional Economic Focus,
December 2006, indicates that in terms of contribution to the GDP, the Nkangala
District is the highest contributor at 40 percent, followed by the Gert Sibande
District at 36 percent and the Ehlanzeni District at 24 percent. The Nkangala
District continues to be the highest producer of electricity in the Province at
71 percent, the Gert Sibande District being the highest contributor in
Agriculture at 39 percent, and the Ehlanzeni District the highest in terms of
trade relations at 45 percent.

The Gert Sibande District contributes 55% to the manufacturing sector,
whereas the Nkangala and Ehlanzeni Districts contributes 30 and 15 percent
respectively. Madam Speaker, the gap in the contribution to the GDP, per
district, between Nkangala and Gert Sibande districts is four percent. It is a
concern that the gap between Nkangala and Ehlanzeni districts is 16 percent,
and between Ehlanzeni and Gert Sibande this gap is 12 percent.

The concern about the low contribution of Ehlanzeni district to the GDP is
based on the observation that as a district rich in agricultural output, the
district should make a bigger contribution to the GDP through a bigger
manufacturing sector, because the district ought to have a bigger manufacturing
base than the other districts.

The fact that this is not the case indicates that the Ehlanzeni district is
currently not fully optimising its competitive advantage, namely, its
agricultural base. Therefore there is work to be done, by both the public and
private sectors, to ensure that the province benefits from the competitive
advantages it has, be it in agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and or other
sectors.

Madam Speaker, as indicated earlier, our recent past informs what we do in
the future. Allow me therefore to report to this honourable house the status
quo regarding the undertakings we made during our presentation of the main
appropriation in March 2007.

The unemployment rate

The results of the Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa,
published in September 2007, indicate that our unemployment rate is slightly
higher than the national average. The Province has recorded a rate of 26,4
percent as compared to 25,5 percent of the national average.

However the figure shows that unemployment is decreasing, from 27,4 percent
to the current 26,4 percent. We are working hard as a province to attract
meaningful economic and social direct investment, in order to reduce
unemployment to much lower levels.

Review of the first six months of the current financial year

Preferential Procurement Policy

Madam Speaker, Honourable Members, when I stood before this house on 6 March
earlier this year, we promised to introduce a policy framework that will ensure
uniform application of the Preferential Procurement Policy across departments
so that the citizens of Mpumalanga can benefit from the provincial government's
procurement of goods and services.

I can report to this house that a draft Preferential Procurement Policy for
the province has been developed. We are currently doing final consultations
with all government clusters departments, and municipalities. It is our
objective to ensure uniformity and standardisation of processes, practices and
procedures which will result in the progressive empowerment of the historically
disadvantaged individuals, particularly women and people with disabilities.

Provincial Spend Analysis

We promised, Madam Speaker, to commission a study and analysis of the
provincial spending, to analyse procurement decisions in departments in terms
of who benefits, geographic spread, and compliance with the Preferential
Procurement Policy, to ensure that the previously disadvantaged are empowered,
and that money is retained within the province.

Madam Speaker, the provincial spend analysis is almost complete. Tireless
work and efforts have been put together to ensure that this objective is
achieved. There were challenges in completing the exercise due to inconsistency
in completing information particularly on the historically disadvantaged
individuals (HDI). As result, this has created some problems. However, the
project is on track and it will be completed in the next two (2) weeks.

This information will assist in decision making and therefore lead to
definite strategic interventions for the benefit of the province and its
inhabitants.

Service Transformation

In the main appropriation, we also promised to continue to transform our
service points in an attempt to enhance the efficiency of service delivery.
This will include exploring new cost-effective innovations of conducting
business so that we are able to speedily and accurately respond to the needs of
our clientele. As we strive for excellence, responsiveness and ensuring access
to information for the people of Mpumalanga, we have transformed our tender
offices into tender advisory centres.

Coupled with this, we have embarked on road-shows targeting the youth and
women, with the objective of providing them with information on preparing and
presenting winning bids, as well as access to non-financial support. We have as
well piloted in one of our tender offices, the installation of equipment such
as a television set, communication systems, a digital watch and others in order
to ensure a people first top-class office, which addresses the needs of its
clientele. It is our objective to implement all this in all our offices.

A complaints register to address perceived and actual complaints raised by
our clientele, forms part of our strategies to follow up on matters raised by
tenderers. As such complaints are registered, followed up and monitored, on a
regular basis, in a speedily and an accessible manner.

Capacitate Supply Chain Management (SCM) Practitioners

Madam Speaker, we undertook to continue to train, support and develop Supply
Chain Management Practitioners. We are exploring an exchange programme with the
private sector to assist with skills development, attitude and ethic
transformation.

In our quest to ensure a well-trained and capacitated cadre of Supply Chain
Management (SCM) Practitioners, we have, since the beginning of the financial
year, trained 256 municipal officials and 165 officials in provincial
departments and committee members on SCM processes, as well as the development
of specifications dealing with evaluation as well as the adjudication of
bids.

As we promised to explore an exchange programme on Supply Chain Management
with the private sector to assist with skills development, attitude and ethic
transformation, I'm pleased to announce that sufficient progress has been made
with Sasol to implement a learnership programme for our procurement
practitioners, targeting 500 officials over a five-year period effective from
February 2008.

Honourable members, we also undertook to continue to support departments and
Municipalities to adhere to critical Supply Chain Management procedures and
practices in line with applicable regulations, and assist low and medium
municipalities to establish committees and appoint qualified SCM personnel.
Madam Speaker, as part of our support and intervention in departments, we
continued to provide on-site management and technical assistance which resulted
in officials being deployed to municipalities and departments to support the
implementation of Supply Chain Management.

We will step up this type of intervention going forward as it has yielded
better and more positive results. We see municipalities and departments
starting to comply with minimum norms and standards as required, for the
establishment of SCM units, committees, policies, and delegation.

Maximise investment in information technology

We also promised this honourable that we would maximise investment in
Information Technology (IT) resources through the development and
implementation of a Master Systems Plan (MSP). As we promised, the Master
Systems Plan (MSP) has been completed. The project was started in February 2007
and completed in July 2007. We are gearing ourselves to start implementing it
and we hope to do that before the end of the current financial year. The MSP
will enable the Province to best manage information and the deployment of
Information Technology (IT) infrastructure in a manner that supports the
realisation of the objectives and goals of the province.

Operational Support Teams in Infrastructure Implementation

Madame Speaker, I now wish to report to this house progress on the
Operational Support Teams, Project Managers and Financial Experts in all
infrastructure delivery departments. It gives me great pleasure to report that
the initiative on Operational Support Teams to Infrastructure Delivery
Departments, is beginning to bear fruits, as for the first time, the
Infrastructure Plans for the next financial year, that is, the 2008/09, have
been developed and submitted on time to the National Treasury. This will allow
Departments to develop their Programme Management Plans and Programme
Implementation Plans to allow implementation to commence at the beginning of
the financial year.

To add to this achievement, the report from National Treasury on the
assessment of Infrastructure Plans for 2008/09 financial year informs us that
our Department of Roads and Transport has produced the best Infrastructure Plan
in the whole country. This is the first in the history of Mpumalanga. The
department has made us proud and I believe they deserve applause from this
house.

Furthermore, a number of departments have managed to finalise their
Programme Management Plans and Programme Implementation Plans for the 2007/08
financial year, albeit late.

The quarterly reporting through the Infrastructure Reporting Model (IRM) has
been prioritised to ensure that issues of cash flow projections and reporting
on expenditure are closely monitored to allow for the achievement of targets as
defined in the various infrastructure delivery related plans. To this end we
have introduced monthly submissions of the IRM so that challenges can be
quickly dealt with. We have also introduced the IRM in the Department of Public
Works to assist the department to manage and report on their own funded
projects. I believe that the seed of best practice has been planted and it is
up to Departments to institutionalise these processes, for the benefit of the
people of this province.

Submission of Infrastructure Quarterly Reports and Infrastructure Grant
Spending Honourable Members, there has been progress on submission of
infrastructure quarterly reports and infrastructure grants spending. The
compliance to the Division of Revenue Act in terms of submission of
infrastructure quarterly reports has improved. The reports are scrutinised and
monitored closely, to ensure that they serve as meaningful management tools. We
continue to support departments to produce infrastructure reports on a monthly
basis.

Infrastructure Delivery Improvement Programme (IDIP) and Provincial
Technical Assistant Teams (PTATS)

There has also been progress on the Infrastructure Delivery Improvement
Programme (IDIP) and on the contribution by two Provincial Technical Assistant
Teams (PTATS) deployed at the Department of public works and Education.
Steering committees at various levels have been established to properly guide
the implementation of the IDIP in the province. The Provincial Programme
Steering Committee (PPSC), the Joint Inter-departmental Operational committee
(JOC) and the Departmental operations Committee (DOC) are fully
functioning.

Efforts towards capacity building are on track, as the Provincial Treasury
is busy co-ordinating a workshop on development of capacitation plans for all
the Departments tasked with infrastructure delivery.

Assist departments to have monthly Own Revenue Workshops

In terms of Own Revenue generation, we indicated to this house that we would
assist all departments to have monthly own revenue workshops, to look at trends
of own revenue within each department and address problems that may arise. We
have established monthly revenue workshops to empower and share information
among revenue managers, and their assistants at a regional level. The
departments are supported at these regional revenue forums by the Provincial
Treasury. The departments that have established monthly revenue workshops at
regional level are the Department of Public Works, Department of Roads and
Transport, Department of Education, Department of Agriculture and Land
Administration.

Madame Speaker we are prioritising the cash offices as we believe that our
own revenue transactions begin at a cash office level. As a result, we have
already noted an improvement in the understanding of revenue management, in
that officials are able to raise issues that may assist in revenue generation
and collection. Champions have also been identified to facilitate growth in the
departmental revenue portfolios.

Implement a revenue-forecasting model

In addition, we undertook to implement, with the assistance of the National
Treasury a revenue-forecasting model in the Department of Roads and Transport
which is a main collector of own revenue, and to others later. Madame Speaker,
Honourable Members, the promised revenue-forecasting model is at a finality
stage and will be implemented by the National Treasury.

Lastly, but not least, on the revenue issue, Madame Speaker, we undertook to
build capacity in all cash offices. We continue to conduct workshops to empower
cash office officials on revenue management issues. The focus areas for 2007/08
financial year are:
* revenue and cash office management
* internal control measures
* revenue receipts, recording, banking and safe custody of state funds
* revenue reporting

Site visits are done regularly to monitor whether cash offices comply with
the prescripts and applicable procedures and also to provide support where
needed. We also conduct on the job training to empower cash office officials.
Our success with own-revenue generation, as we have detailed the steps we have
undertaken so far, is indicated in the collections to date.

Collections to date

In our quest to continue to assist Departments to improve on own revenue
collection, we have, as at the end of the September 2007 (six months period),
assisted departments to collect R208,862 million against the annual revenue
target of R337,855 million, which represents 61% of the set target.

Only one department, that is, the Department of Health and Social Services
is not performing well with regard to own revenue collection. However we
continue to assist the department. We are confident that based on the
collection rate, we will be able to exceed the target by the end of the
financial year.

Madam Speaker, we have identified the following areas which we believe would
assist the Department of Health and Social Services to optimise revenue
collection:
* revision of the Uniform Patient Fee Structure (UPFS) in consultation with and
assistance from the National Department of Health.
* establishment of the Road Accident Fund (RAF) satellite offices to certain
hospitals through assistance by National Department of Health as well as the
Provincial Department of Health,
* assist in the implementation of Electronic Data Interchange system to certain
hospitals to provide for the electronic submission of medical aid claims, which
are always rejected due to late submission.

Produce 12 Unqualified Reports

Madame Speaker, we also made certain undertakings on two governance issues.
Firstly, it was our aim, and focus, to produce 12 unqualified audit reports.
Madame Speaker, Honourable Members, on the basis of the audit outcomes of the
2006/07 Financial Year, we admit that a lot more harder work is needed to
achieve 12 unqualified audit reports. In the previous financial year there was
only one qualification. We managed to produce seven (7) unqualified audit
opinions from the audits of the 2006/07 financial year. We must state that the
qualification for the other six (6) departments was as a result of poor assets
management irregular expenditure, emphasis of matter raised.

As the National Auditor-General indicated in his recent presentation to the
Portfolio Committee on Office of the Premier, Finance, and Safety and Security,
the solution to clean audits lies in the province itself, arguing that if one
department can obtain a clean audit, so can lessons be learnt from that
department.

As we said in the past, and re-iterate it now, we will not rest until we
receive all 12 unqualified audit reports. We have thus developed a strategy to
monitor what Departments are doing to address the issues raised by the
Auditor-General. This we will do, by further improving governance issues with
regard to effective internal audit units and audit committees, as we have since
realised that the departments audit units and committees are not fully utilised
to encourage good fiscal management and discipline.

Assist municipalities to comply with the MFMA

Finally, we indicated that we would continue to assist municipalities to
comply with the provisions of the Municipal Finance Management Act, and
familiarise ourselves with the status quo regarding financial management,
compliance and other issues in the delegated additional four (4)
municipalities.

As we committed ourselves during the tabling of the main appropriation bill,
we continued and are still continuing to assist municipalities in order for
them to comply with the MFMA. Due to our interventions, 18 of the 21 delegated
municipalities were able to approve and adopt their annual budgets for the
2007/08 financial year within the specified time frame.

We continued to capacitate municipalities with regard to monthly reporting
formats to ensure uniformity and coherence of the monthly financial reports. A
tremendous improvement has been noted from municipalities in terms of reporting
to both the National and the Provincial Treasury, hence we can confidently
announce that all municipalities, but one, had submitted their monthly reports
on time for the first quarter ending September 2007.

Furthermore, all municipalities, but one, managed to submit their Annual
Financial Statement for the year ending June 2007 to the Auditor General by the
end of August 2007. Only one municipality failed to meet the deadline and
submitted on 14 September 2007.

We have also, in collaboration with the National Treasury, work-shopped
municipalities on accounts standards for the preparation of the next annual
financial statements. The Provincial Treasury is also working closely with
South African Local Government Association with the aim of addressing
challenges and pressures in municipal finances.

We continue to hold MuniMec meetings with an aim of sharing experience and
best practices, and also to disseminate new information related to fiscal
policy areas.

Medium Term Expenditure Committee (MTEC) hearings

Madam Speaker, as we promised earlier in the year, and in line with the
Mpumalanga 2007 Budget process schedule, meetings with Departments for
considering of the 2008 MTEF budget submission, took place from 25 September
2007 to 16 October 2007.

The following areas of policy significance were covered during the
meetings:
* whether the implementation of the agreed priorities that informed the
preparation of the 2007/08 budget is on track
* whether the funding for these priorities was adequate in the first instance
and subsequently, whether the departments will be confronted with any
pressures
* whether there exists any linkages between the priorities agreed to and
presented by the sectoral Medium Term Expenditure Committee Hearings at the
National level and the Provincial bidding process
* whether there are any synergies between the 2007 priorities and the proposed
2008 priorities
* whether the Occupational Salary Dispensations of professionals in Education,
Health and Social Services were being addressed or not
* assessment of the Compensation of Employees by each Department given the
under-spending by Departments during the 2006/07 financial year.
* assessment of the Compensation of Employees for the Department of Education
given the huge overspending in the 2006/07 financial year
* assessment of whether departments have budgeted adequately for salary
increases for 2008/09 financial year in line with the guideline from National
Treasury.

That the 'March Spike' syndrome is minimised

The MTEC Hearings provided us with an opportunity of understanding areas
that need urgent attention, as well as frustrations that sometimes departments
face on a daily basis.

Madame Speaker, may I take this opportunity to thank my Colleagues in the
Executive Council for participating in the MTEC Hearings and also for allowing
robust discussions in all areas.

Honourable Members, allow me, before I present the proposed adjustment
allocations for 2007/08, to indicate, firstly, the technical adjustments to the
provincial fiscal framework, and secondly, the implementation of the Government
Employment Medical Scheme (GEMS).

Technical adjustments to the provincial fiscal framework

Personnel adjustment

When preparing the 2007 budget, provinces were advised to budget for salary
increases of six (6) percent for the 2007/08 financial year, five (5) percent
for the 2008/09 and the 2009/10 financial years. In addition, provinces had to
budget an additional one (1) percent for pay progression.

However in terms of the wage agreement (PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2007), the
wage increase for 2007/08 was 7,5 percent, which was implemented from 1 July
2007. As a result, there was a shortfall of 1,5 percent from what Provinces
planned for, when they tabled their 2007 Budgets. Madam Speaker, Honourable
Members, in order to compensate for the costs associated with the higher than
anticipated wage settlement, R97,784 Million has been added to the provincial
equitable share for the 2007/08 financial year, as part of the 2007 Adjustment
Estimate.

Conditional grants

Madame Speaker, allow me also to mention that an amount of R45 million is
being made available to compensate losses of the fire disasters, an amount of
R150 million is also available for Housing and Human Settlement, R50 million
contingency reserve, R20 million for the Growth Fund, R16 million for flagship
projects, and R30 million for the Delmas water and sanitation
infrastructure.

Implementation of the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS)

During the 2006/07 financial year, the National Treasury made allocations to
provinces for the uptake of GEMS. As a result, an amount of R126,858 million
remained in the Provincial Revenue Fund awaiting allocation to Provincial
Departments as guidelines for the implementation of GEMS were not ready at that
stage. Departments were only advised to cost the impact of implementing GEMS
during this financial year, in order for the Provincial Treasury to make funds
available for adjustment during the adjustment budget process. Four out of
twelve votes have submitted requests for allocation from the GEMS funding.

Adjustment budget allocation (2007 to 2008)

Madam Speaker, Honourable Members the total Budget appropriated by this
house earlier in the year was R16,211 billion and will increase by R741 million
resulting in an adjusted budget of R16,952 billion for the 2007/08 financial
year. Of this additional amount, only R636 million is recommended to be
allocated to address departmental pressures, leaving an amount of R105,182
million that has been exclusively allocated.

* Growth Fund R20 million
* Contingency Reserve R50 million
* Flagship Projects R16,005 million
* Government Employees Medical Scheme R9,554 million
* Wage Settlement R4,012 million
* Additional surrender by Local Government and Housing R5,611 million

The proposed adjusted budget per vote is as follows:

Vote 1: Office of the Premier

The main appropriation budget of the Office of the Premier was R148,821
Million and will now increase by R21, 629 Million resulting in the adjusted
budget of R170, 450 Million. The Office registered pressures amounting to R
17,773 million for, among others, GEMS, and for the Wage Settlement.

Vote 2: Provincial Legislature

The approved budget of R70,260 Million for the Provincial Legislature is
proposed to be increased by R22,417 Million. The adjusted budget is now R92,677
million. The Legislature registered pressures of R17,935 million, which will be
further adjusted with unspent funds as well as funds generated from own
revenue.

Vote 3: Department of Finance

The appropriated budget of R145,052 million for the Department of Finance
will remain the same.

Vote 4: Local Government and Housing

The R839,586 million budget for the Department of Local Government and
Housing will increase by R166,437 Million. The adjustment budget is therefore,
R1,006 million. The additional funds will be used for, among others, the
Water-for-all Flagship Project, Housing and Human Settlement, and for water and
sanitation infrastructure in Delmas.

Vote 5: Agriculture and Land Administration

The Department of Agriculture and Land Administration is being reduced by a
total amount of R18,543 Million meant for the Gutshwa Dam from the original
budget of R621,073 million. The department will receive additional amounts to
fund the Greening Mpumalanga Flagship Project. The department is also receiving
an additional allocation of R45 million from the national fiscus for disaster
management, e.g., for veld fires and the purchase of fodder. The revised budget
of the department is therefore R669,193 million.

Vote 6: Economic Development and Planning

The budget of the Department of Economic Development and Planning will
increase by R10 million, up from the original budget of R361,348 million to
R371,348 million. The amount of R10 million is for the payment of transaction
advisors, for the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport Project.

Vote 7: Education

An additional allocation of R162,285 million to the appropriated budget of
R7,956 billion for the Department of Education is proposed. This will result in
the adjusted budget of the department totalling R8,118 billion. Included in
this amount, is the personnel adjustment from 1 July 2007, and the government
contribution to GEMS.

Vote 8: Public Works

The Department of Public Works will receive an additional amount of R7,376
million resulting in the adjusted budget of R362,446 million from the original
budget of R355,070 million.

The additional amount is needed for, among others, the completion of the
Provincial Fixed Asset Register, the valuation of the properties as well as
capturing of assets into the Geographical Information System (GIS).

Vote 9: Safety and Security

The budget of the Department of Safety and Security remains the same at
R44,510 million.

Vote 10: Health

The Health component of the Department of Health and Social Services will
receive an additional amount of R122,952 million to fund GEMS, and the
Occupation Specific Salary Dispensation for nurses, among others. The revised
budget for the vote is R3,717 billion.

Vote 11: Roads and Transport

The Department of Roads and Transport will receive an additional amount of
R59,281 million. The additional amount is needed for road infrastructure, and
will increase the budget of the department from R1,421 billion to R1,480
billion.

Vote 12: Culture, Sport and Recreation

The Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation with receive an additional
amount of R15,163 million resulting in the adjusted budget of R171,238 million,
from the original budget of R156,075 million.

The department also surrenders R18,710 Million. The additional amount is
needed for, among others, the completion of the Samora Machel Memorial, Council
of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) Cup and related
activities.

Vote 13: Social Services

The budget of the Social Services component of the Department of Health and
Social Services remains the same at R497,517 million. Madam Speaker, I hereby
table the 2007/08 financial year Adjustment Budget Bill in terms of Section 31
of the PFMA, Act 1 of 1999 (as amended by Act 29 of 1999).

Conclusion

In conclusion Madam Speaker, allow me to thank the Honourable Premier for
his continued confidence in me, my colleagues in the Executive Council for
their valued contribution and support, members of the Budget and Finance
Committee for most valued expertise and honest opinions, the Portfolio
Committee responsible for financial matters, for the wisdom and guidance, the
Head of Department for Finance, Rabeng Tshukudu for the sterling job he
continues to do in steering the finance ship forward.

The entire Provincial Treasury for their efforts, dedication and commitment
towards ensuring that there is continuous prudence in managing fiscal policy.
To my family, thank you for allowing me to be a part of a caring government
that strives to better the lives of our people. Madam Speaker, Honourable
members, as we move towards the month that includes the 16 Days of Activism
Against Women and Children Abuse, I would like to leave men the following quote
by Thomas Paine to ponder upon: "Bring me men to match my mountains bring me
men to match my plains men with empires in their purpose, and new eras in their
brains."

In deed, what we need are men who will add value to what God has created:
the environment, the women and the children, because it is through their
nurturing those empires can be built. Empires, in their nature, assured their
builders a better life for all who live in them. In short, Madame Speaker, we
need men with new ideas in their brains, which imply a transformation of the
way men think, especially about women and children.

I thank you

Issued by: Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature
22 November 2007
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature (http://finance.mpu.gov.za)