Rise Mzansi's Zibi decries financial wastage on public servants' salaries
In an interview with EWN, the Rise Mzansi leader argued that there has been excessive focus on the increase in value-added tax (VAT) rather than on implementing money-saving mechanisms.
RISE Mzansi’s national leader, Songezo Zibi. Picture: X/@Rise_Mzansi
JOHANNESBURG - Rise Mzansi's leader, Songezo Zibi, has expressed the need to reduce the number of government workers, saying too much money is being spent to pay public servants.
Zibi believes the government needs to review its spending priorities and redirect funds to areas where they are most needed.
In an interview with EWN, the Rise Mzansi leader argued that there has been excessive focus on the increase in value-added tax (VAT) rather than on implementing money-saving mechanisms.
With South Africa having the third-largest public sector wage bill in the world, the government has revived its plan to decrease the number of public workers.
To achieve this, R11 billion has been allocated to incentivise public workers over 55 years old to retire, thereby reducing the number of government employees.
Zibi views this as a necessary step, as it will help reduce government spending on salaries.
"Government jobs are not there to solve unemployment by employing people. They are there to create an environment in which jobs can be created. We can’t solve unemployment when we spend so much on salaries."
The government spends more than R820 billion of its revenue on paying salaries to its workers.
Zibi argues that these funds could be used to cover the revenue shortfall that the government plans to address by implementing a VAT increase.