Deputy

Speaker, firstly, let me just indicate one thing and I hope all of us will be on a consensus about the problems that we are trying to deal with in terms of the description. There is no irreconcilable contradiction

between what you are saying with regard to the need to cut the wage bill and vacancies. These are two different issues. We need to fill all vacancies that exist in terms of what each executive authority and head of department determines with regard to their needs in each department.

On the other hand, we do need to reduce the wage bill. What we need to understand is that the size of the wage bill does not automatically flow from the number of public servants that we have. In fact, we can confidently stand here and say that we don't have a bloated public service in the Republic. [Interjections.] What we have though is a bloated wage bill. [Interjections.]

We have done thorough studies on this matter. We now understand how the wage bill has grown in a manner that is related to vacancies or to the number of personnel in both provincial and national level departments. Our focus solely is on the wage bill and what has led to its accumulation. I think it is very important to point out and understand. We can give examples of things that have happened over time that have given rise to the wage bill

that we have today. These would, amongst other things, have been unintended ... [Time expired.]

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, don't do that. Your time has expired. You will continue to answer as others answer.