This as the committee is considering the Appropriation Bill for various departments after the tabling of the provincial budget on Wednesday.

Appearing before the committee, the CFO of the Free State Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Jabulile Maphisa, said the department has been allocated provincial funding with an equitable share of R949,9 million. The specific earmarked equitable share is divided into infrastructure enhancement allocation of R2 million and revenue at R71,8 million. National funding is allocated R83.8 million. Maphisa says the administration allocated R293,1 million, where social welfare was allocated R245 million, children and families R558 million, restorative services R188 million and development and research R156 million, with the total being R1,442 billion.

On Wednesday, Gadija Brown, MEC for Finance in the Free State Province, presented the 2021/22 provincial budget. During her speech, Brown said Social Development is allocated R1.442 billion in 2021/22, R1.455 billion in 2022/23 and R1.454 billion in 2023/24. Over this Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which sets out three-year spending plans, the department will be spending this total of R4.352 billion on the following priorities: gender-based violence, victim empowerment, early child development, an office on the rights of children, operational costs for a substance abuse treatment centre in Botshabelo, and food relief centres. Brown said they will continue to support social workers in areas with a high prevalence of gender-based violence, substance abuse and issues affecting children. The budget includes R76.981 million allocated over the MTEF period which is earmarked for statutory services.

OFM News/Blaine Jones