Durban - If you want to party, you pay for it yourself. That is the attitude of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial Treasury to staff at government departments looking to enjoy end-of-year festivities.
While many workers in the private sector are getting set for their year-end functions, government workers in the province will either have to cough up or go without.
“No department has been given approval to host a year-end function funded by government. If year-end functions are held, these must be funded by the staff themselves,” said Sibonelo Msomi, the acting media liaison officer at the provincial Treasury.
Since 2010, the provincial government, after sliding into the red, has implemented austerity measures in line with the national government’s directive to tighten belts.
Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene recently revealed that cost-cutting measures were still in place. Even the Presidency was reportedly complaining (about the new regime).
“A cost-cutting circular states: ‘No team-building exercises or year-end/Christmas functions to be held. Only permitted if paid for by the staff themselves,’” said Msomi.
He said there were some exceptions to the austerity measures, but only in cases in which departments were performing their functions and their usual venues were not available. But the Treasury’s prior approval was mandatory. “The cost-cutting circular, for instance, states that events, meetings and workshops should be held in government facilities unless the government facility is not available or cannot accommodate the number of people who will attend.”
The departments of health and education had been cited as the offenders that had blown their budgets. Msomi said it was difficult to quantify savings through the cost-saving measures alone. While improvements made in the past year were “not all due to cost cutting, it would certainly have contributed to savings”.
He said the Treasury had assessed the cost-cutting measures from 2009 to this year and found there had been a decrease in spending on venues, hotels and catering. About R1.9 billion had been saved.
Mbulelo Baloyi, the spokesman for the departments of public works and human settlements, said: “There is no money for parties, you contribute your own money from your salary. I just contributed around R200 for the two departments. Even the spending on the hotels is gone… There is no going to the Hilton.”
Desmond Motha, of the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department, said they did not have budgets for entertainment. “If the workers, like in my department (communication), want to have something, they will be contributing,” he said.
Sihle Mlotshwa, of the Department of Education, said he could not remember when last there was a government-funded party. “If we want something, we contribute. We are employed, after all.”
The Mercury