GOVERNMENT
NEGLECTS INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
STATEMENT
ISSUED BY DR GERHARD KOORNHOF, MP
UDM SPOKESPERSON ON FINANCE
The
UDM believes that government has neglected for the past seven years the vital
task of developing infrastructure. The statement by Minister Manuel yesterday in
the National Council of Provinces, that increased spending on infrastructure is
hampered by capacity and institutional problems in government, vindicates our
position.
Unfortunately, the Minister has chosen to shift the blame to provincial and
local government, which certainly do experience problems. However, that does not
remove the responsibility of national government to ensure that infrastructure
is developed and maintained as a matter of urgency. The Minister also reportedly
neglected to highlight the failure of the present government for the past seven
years to prioritise infrastructure development and maintenance.
Infrastructure is central to economic growth, and therefore job creation. In
addition, social needs and service delivery cannot occur if there is no proper
infrastructure. This has been one of the primary weaknesses of government, and
is part of the reason why many government programmes have failed. The truth is
that the South African landscape is littered with examples of little or no
infrastructure that relegate the majority of our citizens to informal
settlements and rural areas where not even their most basic economic and social
needs are provided for. Without proper infrastructure the obstacles for citizens
to help themselves become virtually unbreakable bars in a cage of poverty,
degradation and unemployment.
Enquiries:
Dr Gerhard Koornhof, MP
UDM Spokesperson for Finance
Cape Town
25 October 2001
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