The rural town of Harding, south of KwaZulu-Natal today was abuzz as more than 200 local business people, political, religious and traditional leaders gathered in the local town hall to give budget tips to MEC for Finance, Ina Cronjé during the pre-budget breakfast and to welcome the official opening of the two clinics worth R14 million in the area by MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo.
The pre-budget roadshow is a consultative exercise by Provincial Treasury ahead of the provincial budget presentation on 8 March 2011 while the opening of clinics is a firm attempt to address issues of primary health care in Harding. MEC for Agriculture, Lydia Johnson also outlined the need for communities to start own gardens.
The event, which eventually attracted 5 000 community members, culminated in kwaMbonwa open field, is billed to be the biggest service delivery drive in the area by government in a bid to change people’s lives.
This service delivery drive was organised by the Povincial Treasury and Department of Health in partnership with Umuziwabantu Municipality.
Outlining the budget process, Cronjé emphasised the need for community participation in the formulation of the budget so that government can be better informed of the needs and challenges facing them.
“This is also a way of ensuring community participation in governance,” she said.
Emphasising measures guiding expenditure for public institutions, she said that the said institutions must observe principles of on-budget expenditure, obtaining clean audits, cutting unnecessary costs, getting value for money and doing more with less as well as dealing with corruption and deliberate wrong doing.
“Government must deliver more services, more effectively with less money,” she said.
Dr Dhlomo said the opening of the two clinics in Santombe and kwaMbonwa areas is an indication by government that it is committed to improving health care in this area and in the province in general.
“The clinics which are already operating will make it possible for all the local people to access healthcare without travelling long distances to hospitals. They will also make it possible for all expectant mothers to access both ante-natal and post natal care. It will now remain the responsibility of Amakhosi and religious leaders to ensure that every woman that is pregnant does attend the clinics. They also have to ensure that no girl of 18 years and less fall pregnant as according to the World Health Organisation a body of a person of that age is not ready for that task.’
Dhlomo donated five wheelchairs, 10 walking sticks and 10 medication bags, Cronjé donated two laptop computers to two local schools while Johnson donated hoes and seed.
Formore information contact:
Musa Cebisa
Cell: 071 6878 777
Chris Maxon
Cell: 083 447 2869
