Premier quashes rumours as she explains austere budget

PREMIER Helen Zille has quashed speculation that she will resign as leader of the province before her term ends. Zille and senior officials within her department were explaining their budget choices to the legislature’s standing committee on the premier yesterday when the ANC asked the question.

ANC MPL Cameron Dugmore asked Zille about ongoing speculation that she might be on her way out.

Dugmore said: “In various circles and in the media there are speculations about whether this particular premier will serve out her term.”

An amused Zille, after a few loud giggles, gave her commitment that she planned to finish her term.

“Let me give my commitment that unless there’s a vote of no confidence in me, which I’m sure the honourable Dugmore would love to have, or an impeachment which both a member of his side and my side tried to engineer, I will be here in terms of my commitment for the rest of my term. That’s my commitment, but you know stuff happens in politics but if it is up to me I will be around,” she said.

With a budget of just over R1.34 billion, the premier’s department conceded that they had to scale back, freezing 132 posts to ease budget pressures.

Zille stressed the budget was marked by austerity and the need to cut spending to fit within the constraints of a reduced budget.

“This year our budget has grown by R9 million more than the previous year, an increase of 0.6 percent,” she said.

To accommodate compulsory savings on the compensation of employees, the department said it had to sacrifice the filling of 132 crucial posts to remain within the 2016/17 personnel expenditure ceiling of R541 852 000.

Committee chairman Ricardo Mackenzie expressed concern about crucial posts being left vacant.