PROVINCIAL BUDGET DIRECTOR NOMTHANDAZO MJUZA SETS OUT THE PROCESS

THE MEC of Finance in Kwazulunatal, Belinda Scott, tabled the 2018/19 medium-term expenditure framework budget in the provincial legislature on March 16.

This budget was tabled in the context of muted economic growth, as well as cuts effected against the provincial budget, which are termed fiscal consolidation cuts, and cuts due to the update of the equitable share formula.

While the KZN provincial budget received the biggest share of national allocations through equitable share and conditional grants at a total of R122 billion, ahead of Gauteng and the Western Cape, the provincial budget has seen significant cuts for the past five years.

These cuts are mainly due to the updates in the equitable share formula as a result of a shift in population from rural provinces, such as KZN to the more urban provinces.

Population is the main driver of the equitable share formula used by the National Treasury to allocate funds to provinces.

This made the 2018/19 budget preparation process one of the most challenging processes ever in the advent of democracy for the province.

Prolonged engagements were held with all budget stakeholders, such as the departments, the ministers’ committee on the budget (Mincombud) and the provincial executive council to discuss how these budget cuts would be effected without negatively affecting service delivery – a tight balancing act.

Provincial treasury effectively had only three weeks to prepare a 700-page document, without compromising its quality.

This was achieved and the public finance team, which is responsible for the preparation of the provincial budget for all 15 departments and their 16 public entities, was applauded by Scott when she tabled the budget in the provincial legislature, for the work done.

The preparation of the provincial budget is no small task, requiring a rare combination of abilities for those who prepare it. It requires, as a basic competence, the ability to crunch numbers, to make them talk to each other but, above all, to capture the plans and the priorities of government in a number format.

As such, the public finance team is composed of mostly economics and accounting graduates. The team does have a Bachelor of Arts graduate – oddly – but her ability to crunch numbers and pay attention to detail would turn a chartered accountant green with envy.

In addition, a budget analyst needs to be able to enter into dynamic engagements with the departments and the Mincombud on the department’s budgetary needs, and therefore an analyst should have sound communication and negotiation skills.

Recommendations of the Mincombud committee are approved by the provincial executive council. As such, the responsibility of preparing the budget is not entirely that of bureaucrats, but is a deeply political function.

This requires that budget analysts be people who hold the deep aspirations of South Africans in their hearts, and are alert to signs of the misuse of public funds and can defend the public purse.

This article pays tribute to the public finance unit of the provincial treasury which prepares the KZN provincial budget.

This unit also monitors departments’ and their public entities’ spending monthly, and prepares reports for the attention of the National Treasury, the provincial legislature, as well as the provincial executive council.

Despite the immense responsibility that rests on this team, which requires that members work long hours and even on weekends to meet deadlines, this team is one of the most exciting to be part of in government – laughter is its armour and antidote for stress and anxiety.

It is led by an Iron Lady, Tanya Stielau, but that name is deceptive as you’ll soon find out.

Stielau, a third generation of the German Lutheran missionaries who settled in the Wartburg farming area in KZN in the 1800s, is known for her sternness, integrity, unquestionable work ethic and time management, true to her German heritage earning.

However, the biggest armoury she possesses is her big and contagious laughter and nurturing demeanour – surely African traits?

Leaders set the tone and the culture of any organisation, and Stielau has done an excellent job in creating this unit’s culture and making it one of the most successful teams in government.

It is in her office that the staff congregate every day between 7am and 8am for the greeting ritual of chatting about everything from the weather (how loud the dum-dum was – a term used by the unit to mean thunder), the kids, politics, etc.

It is during these chats that individual personality traits come out, from the pranksters to the team’s encyclopaedia – who knows practically anything – and is not shy to offer an information session to the ignorant, which can take quite a bit of time though.

It is the same office where team members’ birthdays are religiously celebrated over cakes and samoosas, as is any achievement worth celebrating.

It is a miracle that the team is not as round as a globe from all the cake eating. I should mention, though, that dieting is also a religion among team members, with some enthusiastic members eating nothing at times other than some green juice concoction. There are legendary stories about this green juice concoctions.

Laughter, mutual honour and respect among team members are the pillars that enable this team of 21 people, including four administrative support staff, to deliver one of the most important mandates of the province in tight deadlines, but still remain mentally and emotionally stable with healthy relationships.

As the country this year celebrates the centenary of one of the sons of the soil, Nelson Mandela, the unit can stand tall and proud knowing they’ve been an excellent example of the rainbow nation, with its diversity.

The team is made up of white South Africans (English, German and Afrikaner), Africans (Xhosas, Zulus and Shangaan), two African expats from Ghana and Zimbabwe, and Indian South Africans.

These cultural differences, which can be a source of tension in many office environments, have been an advantage for the team, due to the myriad perspectives that can be mined to expand one’s world view, an important skill for a budget analyst.

Not only has the team transcended race-based tensions; it has overcome gender hostilities and tensions due to age differences that characterise some work environments, as it has both men and women, with the majority women, and both young and old, with the oldest 56 and the youngest 24.

Differences in an environment that upholds love, respect and team functionality do not become a source of tension, but a source of strength.

There’s an African proverb that “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”.

Deep gratitude is extended to

Neli Shezi, DDG fiscal resource, Smiso Magagula and Scott for their unwavering support and leadership of the provincial treasury.