GOOD welcomes the confirmation from the National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure that the recent state funeral of the late Ntate Andrew Mlangeni didn’t cost taxpayers an arm and a leg.
To directly compare the cost of Mlangeni’s funeral, under lockdown, to the amount spent on the funerals of other struggle stalwarts who passed away over the past two years, would be to compare apples to pears.
But it is worth noting that the R150 000 price tag is less than 1% of the average R25m spent on the last three such events.
State funerals are important occasion to honour people who have made exceptional contributions to their country. To turn such occasions into opportunities for public/private sector corruption, as has recently been alleged, is to dishonour the deceased and all South Africans.
One of the pillars of GOOD’s governance proposition is to reduce unnecessary and wasteful government spending so that more tax income can be allocated to essential services and critical social support.
We must therefore congratulate our leader, Patricia de Lille, the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, for putting the money where her mouth is.
We encourage all spheres of government, including state-owned companies, to strive for similar savings wherever possible.
South Africa will be able to afford the cost of introducing a basic income grant for unemployed adults from the savings made through reducing corruption and wasteful expenditure.