Free State Provincial Government embarks on budget votes roadshow

Members of the Free State Executive Council led by Premier Ace Magashule will table their budget vote speeches in six different towns across the province.

The hosting of the budget votes in small towns is part of the drive by the Legislature of taking the Parliament to the people. The initiative started with last year’s budget votes speeches.

A total of six small towns will host the Legislature starting on Friday, 25 March 2011, until Wednesday, 6 April 2011. Host towns are: Bothaville, Heilbron, Petrus Steyn, Hertzogville, Van Standensrus, and Luckhoff.

Members of the Free State Executive Council will outline strategic areas of focus for the 2011/12 financial year through the tabling their departmental budget votes.

The Speaker of the Legislature Moeketsi Sesele will table the budget vote of the Legislature. Like other provinces, the Free State budget comes from public money which is collected from the taxpayer. It must be spent in ways that will most benefit the public.

Within this context, before the tabling of each of the budget votes, Premier Magashule, MECs and other members of the Legislature will embark on a door-to-door campaign to interact with members of the community to discuss service delivery issues.

A number of activities will also be rolled out in the host towns as part of the budget votes. The Department of Social Development, working with SASSA, will handover food parcels to indigent households in Lukehof. The Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation will promote sporting activities which will also include arts and craft exhibitions.

The Department of Human Settlement will hand over 14 houses to beneficiaries in Van Standensrus. Other activities will be announced in due course.

Instead of checking in at hotels and guest houses, in some instances, members of the Legislature will accommodated in various homes by ordinary members of the communities.

Ordinary Free Staters, including women, youth, senior citizens, school children, traditional leaders will be able to interact with and inform members of the Legislature of their daily experiences.

This will indeed build trust and confidence in the institutions of governance and will result in immeasurable possibilities of partnership between government and communities in programmes that geared towards building a better life for all.

Members of the media are invited to cover all the events. To RSVP and for more details on the budget vote programme please contact the following people listed below.