Cape Town – The Limpopo province also has a good story to tell, President Jacob Zuma said in Parliament on Thursday.
Responding to a COPE member's input to the State of the Nation debate in Parliament on Thursday, President Zuma said after the national government put several provincial departments in Limpopo under administration a few years ago, the province – which was in debt – had turned around and now had a surplus on its budget.
Currently, the Section 100 (b) invoked on Limpopo has been removed and a new administration has been appointed in the province.
“Limpopo had accumulated unauthorised expenditure of 2.7 billion rand which dated back to 2001. A total of 2.2 billion rand has been cleared, cash management controls have improved and the province currently has a cash surplus of 4.2 billion rand.
“New leadership has been appointed within the Limpopo Provincial Treasury, and systems to manage the tender and procurement processes are being put in place.
“Wasteful practices have been eliminated and the Department of Education is delivering textbooks at a lower cost,” he said.
President Zuma said more than 2 000 qualified educators who were previously working as temporary teachers have been fully appointed and permanently deployed to the schools where their services are required.
He said many officials who had been fingered in wrong doing that led to national intervention had since been held accountable.
“Prosecutions are underway by law enforcement structures. Forensic investigations have produced 38 cases and 42 people have been arrested for corruption.
“The Limpopo turnaround is a remarkably good story. We congratulate the province.” – SAnews.gov.za
