ActionSA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has launched a campaign to return the provincial Legislature to Ulundi instead of the government’s plan to build a new precinct to the tune of over R6billion.
The political party said it supported the IFP’s call to move the legislature and for the government to utilise the state-of-the-art infrastructure already in place in Ulundi.
The IFP said it was important that the provincial legislature be moved back to Ulundi, arguing that it would boost economic development, especially through tourism in Zululand.
According to ActionSA, the KZN government currently spends over R11million per year for the rental of office space for the legislature in Pietermaritzburg. The KZN Legislature disputed this allegation clarifying that the Legislature was not rented and it was situated in buildings that were owned by Government and managed by one of its entities known as "Amafa".
However, some of the buildings, which are used as offices for MPL's are leased from Yudayken Trading cc at R189 000 monthly for three buildings.
ActionSA KZN Provincial Chairperson, Zwakele Mncwango called on the people of KZN to sharetheir views.
“Therefore, in the tradition of The People’s Dialogue, ActionSA’s founding principles, our ground forces across KwaZulu-Natal will be on a public participation campaign to solicit the views of the people of KZN on whether a new legislature should be built or to move back to Ulundi,” Mncwango added.
The ActionSA campaign will comprise of three options, including, signed petitions for those who do not have access to smartphones or enough airtime for SMS’s; SMS and WhatsApp line at 078 278 2896; and access a link on their website at www.actionsa.org.za/move-kzn-legislature to submit an online petition.
“This plan illustrates the dearth of innovative ideas to solve our Province’s most pressing needs by this government. What will extra walls and parking lots do to improve the state of governance and service delivery for the people of KZN? ”Instead we need public officials who are competent, responsive and up to the task regardless of where they are based because quite simply the people do not care, all they want are services due to them as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,“ Mncwango said.
*This story was updated with comment from the KZN Legislature in which they disputed spending over R11 million a year on rentals.
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za
Politics