This is according to the Provincial MEC for Finance, Gadija Brown. Tabling the provincial 2020/21 budget on Tuesday, Brown announced that the Basic Education Department together with National Treasury have repurposed some of the education conditional grants to assist in preparation of schools for the phasing in of pupils.

She announced that the bulk of this budget will go towards the school feeding programme, enhancing norms and standards in schools, learner transport programmes and learner-teacher support material.

Whilst Covid-19 cases continue to surge countrywide, Brown highlighted that an additional R667.2 million has been allocated to the Provincial Health Department, to spend strictly on Covid-19 response measures.

“This allocation is over and above the procurement of PPEs procured by Provincial Treasury on behalf of this department. We note with appreciation the sterling work executed by the department and our private partners during these trying times. 

"The Department of Health will spend more than R38.494 billion over the next Medium-Term Expenditure Framework. This budget is spread as follows over MTEF—R12.477 billion in 2020/21, R12.691 billion in 2021/22 and R13.326 billion in 2022/23,” said Brown.

In accordance with consequence management measures and efforts to ensure service delivery, Brown announced that the expenditure of these funds will be monitored closely by her department.

The two departments – Health and Education – considered the largest of them all, have for years received the biggest slice of the provincial budget.

OFM News