Deputy Speaker, the Department of Social Development continues to ignore recommendations made by the Auditor-General to correct gross, unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. All South Africans, particularly the 40% living below the poverty line, can only ask, does this ANC-led government even care, burning billions of rands together with our youth and country's future.
Ironically, it is because of this government's blatant disregard for the poor that they will never realise their own National Development Plan, NDP, goal to eradicate poverty by 2030. There is neither accountability nor assurance provided by senior management, the accounting officer or the executive authorities of the Department of Social Development, Sassa, and of the National Development Agency, NDA.
Perhaps there should be less performance bonuses to senior management, more dismissals and more immediate corrective action. The message to be received loud and clear must be that our vulnerable citizens deserve more than officials not showing up to hotel bookings.
Children go to bed hungry. Pensioners scrape by to survive, all while this department continues in a state of denial, blatantly ignoring the remedies spoon-fed to them by the Auditor-General.
The DA welcomes the Auditor-General's Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report.
As a caring party, the DA will continue to support the fight against poverty. [Applause.]