KZN MEC Francois Rodgers Says the Government Must Spend Money on Unemployment, Service Delivery
- Newly appointed KwaZulu-Natal's MEC for Finance, Francois Rodgers, told Briefly News that MECs must remember to serve the people
- In an exclusive interview, Rodgers believed that he had the experience and qualifications needed to stabilise the province's finances
- He also called on the country and the media to be diligent in observing and commenting on provincial and local government's financial affairs
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With over seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, offered insights into South African politics, governance, political parties and election dynamics.
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JOHANNESBURG – Francois Rodgers, the newly-appointed MEC for Finance in KwaZulu-Natal and the Democratic Alliance's provincial leader, stressed the importance of the public and the media to keep a close eye on provincial and municipal government's finances.
Francois Rodgers speaks to Briefly News
Rodgers spoke to Briefly News in an exclusive interview a few days after the new KZN premier, Thami Ntuli, was sworn in. Ntuli also announced his cabinet, and Rodgers was one of the Democratic Alliance's representatives.
Rodgers told Briefly News that he brings his experience both in government and business into his role as the MEC for Finance. He was elected the Democratic Alliance's provincial leader in 2021 and was a Member of Parliament in 2014. He also served as a provincial member of parliament and a member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA).
"I base (the provincial government's) main priorities on what voters told us running up to the elections. People spoke about getting jobs and infrastructure like water, electricity and education, so we must focus on these areas," he said.
MEC calls for stricter financial discipline
Rodgers called for the province to be more diligent in spending the finances.
"One of the problems I saw when I was in the opposition is that the money was spent on nice-to-haves and not what the community wanted. As MECs, we have to be strict and make sure we run lean departments and not have excessive expenditure on lucrative (purchases). We need to focus the budget on service delivery, ensure that every rand is accounted for, and focus on bringing economic change."
Rodgers calls for transparency in governance
Rodgers also told Briefly News that the parties in the government of provincial unity will monitor one another and how finances are used within the government.
"When we elected our Premier and Deputy Speaker, we made it clear that we all made promises to the voters, and this also included the MK and the EFF. I extended a hand to the MK and the EFF to work together because we have a role collectively towards building a vibrant economy," he said.
Rodgers calls on SA to guard finances
Rodgers also appealed to South Africans and to the media to report more frequently on the financial matters of provinces and municipalities.
"Very often, I've found that people don't pay much attention to financial matters and monitor the situation. I appeal to the media to cover finance so people can understand the dynamics."
He added that the province will be navigating tricky financial waters.
"The money allocated from the National Government was cut for R4 billion this year and for next year, so we're in a difficult financial space, but it's nothing we cannot overcome. We have a great province with great people and cultural diversity. We have the sea and the Drakensberg mountain range and are a tourism destination and economic hub."
KZN Government boosts crime-fighting with 80-vehicle fleet
Similarly, Briefly News reported that the KZN government handed out 80 vehicles for various community crime-fighting structures in the province.
Community policing forums and other structures stood to benefit from the fleet in their efforts to curb criminal activity.
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Source: Briefly News
