The news this week that the Cape Town Metro has only spent 71,5% of its capital budget is a blow to the poor of Cape Town. For it is they who are in the greatest need of capital expenditure on housing, water, electricity, sanitation and the other basic necessities of life.
Both the Auditor-General and the Accountant-General have on numerous occasions identified a lack of leadership as the root cause of poor performance at local government level. The call, therefore, by the ANC in the City of Cape Town for the mayoral committee to be reshuffled in the light of this under-expenditure due to poor leadership is very appropriate and one which needs to be taken seriously.
Yes indeed, there are some cases of slow capital expenditure. These need to be addressed. I have no doubt that the measures implemented by the department to intervene have already started turning the situation around. Thank you, Chair. [Applause.]