The budget tabled by Treasury’s MEC Gadija Brown on 5 March, once again saw the Education and Health Departments receive the biggest slices of the cake. Although, this was a move welcomed by the official opposition, concerns were raised about accruals within these two departments and the state of service delivery rendered in the province.

The DA’s spokesperson on Public Accounts and Finance, David van Vuuren, told OFM News they are concerned about the department’s wage bills and litigation cases faced by the department. While Van Vuuren further raised concerns about the lack of planning for the drought and the water crisis experienced in many parts of the province, the EFF’s Mahlomola Majake told OFM News they are concerned with budget cuts in some of the departments, such as in the Department of Human Settlements. He said Brown's re-allocation of funds to departments such as the Office of the Premier was not clear, and that she should have directed those funds to infrastructure development projects and municipalities.

The parties further raised concern over what they viewed as Brown’s failure to answer critical questions regarding economic growth, job creation, and service delivery.

Van Vuuren told OFM News that the budget was nothing new, but a rhetoric of past commitments.

He added that Brown failed to outline measures taken to curb wasteful and irregular expenditure, or measures taken to hold those implicated accountable.

The debate, set to kick off at 10am, is expected to provide an opportunity for the Provincial Legislature to discuss, and formally adopt the budgets of government departments and public entities.

OFM News