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The Democratic Alliance (DA) has updated its Wasteful Expenditure Monitor. The total now stands at R115 million. The majority of this increase is due to ‘fruitless and wasteful expenditure' as identified by the Auditor-general in a number of recently tabled annual reports.

As part of its oversight role as the official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA) uses the Wasteful Expenditure Monitor to demonstrate how often the needs of the ANC elite are put before the needs of ordinary South Africans.

The current running total of R115, 67 million is a direct result of the following new incidences of overspending in government:

According to the Auditor General, "Fruitless and wasteful expenditure to the amount of R1,166 million incurred in 2008 has not been condoned" for the Construction Education Training Authority (CETA)
The City Press reported on North West province's Moretele Mayor, Asnath Molekwa, who bought a Toyota Prada valued at more than R480 000 and a BMW X5 at more than R550 000. (The DA government in the Western Cape has undertaken not to purchase any new vehicles).
The Land Bank's 2008/09 Annual Report has revealed that "payroll-related payments" and the late payment of utility accounts has resulted in R16.5-million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure in the last financial year.

To date the wasteful expenditure monitor has had a number of positive effects on the ANC government's excessive expenditure. For instance, Deputy Human Settlements Minister Zoe Kota-Fredericks publicly announced she would continue using the former Minister's cars, instead of taking delivery of two new luxury vehicles she was scheduled to receive; and the Department of Defence decided to decline the purchase of several new vehicles. Cabinet has also publicly announced that it will review ministerial rules governing expenditure.

These developments are to be welcomed, but unfortunately the responsible behaviour appears to have been short-lived, as yet more luxury cars are bought at the taxpayers' expense, government SETAs continue to lose money at an alarming rate and South Africa's land bank fails to keep track of millions of Rands.

If dealt with responsibly by the ANC, the amount of R115 million could have paid for any of the following:

2 142 new RDP houses
896 newly qualified teachers for a year
988 newly qualified nurses for a year
680 experienced social workers for a year
4 626 university degrees (3 year qualifications)

All of this money is misspent. Some on fruitless endeavours but a significant part on personal perks and privileges, and all of it at the expense of South African citizens, for which service delivery and not the executive's self indulgence is the primary concern.