R34m to fix non-existent problems

The Western Cape legislature building. File picture: Leon Lestrade

The Western Cape legislature building. File picture: Leon Lestrade

Published Aug 30, 2015

Share

Cape Town - A cool R34 million is required to fix the immediate problems dogging the Western Cape provincial parliament according to the legislature’s Speaker.

She might be in luck, as the provincial finance MEC this weekend indicated he hoped to come up with the means to address the legislature’s more pressing needs.

 The Western Cape legislature’s Speaker Sharna Fernandez told Weekend Argus on Friday she needed an immediate R34m to get her house in shape and had appealed to provincial finance minister Ivan Meyer for the cash.

“Our parliament (legis-lature) has always been the leanest, meanest machine trying to do as much as we could with few resources. But we need to grow our staff complement in order to deliver a service that is compelling,” said Fernandez.

Fernandez said the additional funding would help her address staff shortages as well as upgrade financial and technological systems.

Weekend Argus last week reported on the impact of austerity measures at the legislature outlined in an internal report the legislature’s secretary, Hamida Fakira, presented to its oversight committee.

Fakira’s report highlighted weaknesses with the legislature’s finances, information and communication technology, security and management facilities as well as human resources.

The report warned understaffing had led to “fatigue and burn-out”, with the legislature’s 16 committees unable to deliver effectively as a result.

Fernandez did not deny any of the report’s assertions, but said the legislature was not on the brink of collapse, as the report had suggested.

“The report wasn’t a shock for me. We know our committees are under pressure. But I can only fix it if I have money. As long as I don’t have money I can’t fix it,” said Fernandez.

When she left the corporate world after three decades to join the legislature 15 months ago, Fernandez stepped into a leadership role that demanded a “tightening of belts”.

“I did say to staff that we needed to do more with less. But I didn’t mean more work with less people.

“I meant less money but we have to get the job done,” said Fernandez.

“There is no access to a bottomless pit of money. There is a crunch on the system. There are severe financial constraints.”

Fakira meanwhile said her report “should not have gone out with emotion”.

“We have been having a lot of discussions about it. We do have financial pressure. We have a shortfall,” said Fakira.

“It’s an ongoing discussion and we have to come up with a solution. There was also anticipation about whether we are going to meet our targets or not.

“We don’t have money and that’s why we have doubling up of staff. We are doing a patch up here and there. We are doing whatever we can without money.”

By Friday night, Western Cape finance minister Ivan Meyer said his ministry would step in.

“We have a plan to deal with the situation. I am in discussion with the national Treasury about this matter,” said Meyer.

“The Ministry of Finance will assist them (the legislature) in the short term and is already supporting them. I am also supporting them to set up a fully functional budget and treasury office.

“We are providing them with financial technical expertise as a transitional arrangement. There is no crisis.”

But some of the legislature’s staff remain unhappy with the situation and sources alleged that austerity measures “only work towards the ground and defy gravity when it comes to the Speaker”.

The staff members, who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, said Fernandez had been on “unnecessary” overseas trips and had wasted money.

Fernandez said her trips had been work-related, adding that her door was always open to all 94 staff members if they wished to raise concerns.

“I am concerned that we have staff who feel that way. I’ve spoken to almost every single staff member. I told them to talk to me,” said Fernandez.

“There are the few who are disgruntled.”

Weekend Argus

Related Topics: