MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Ketso Makume, presented the adjustment budget at Southern Life Plaza on Tuesday (2/11). He announced an upward adjustment of R1.256 billion, driven largely by a national additional allocation of R1.153 billion and provincial adjustments totalling R102.750 million.

However, EFF and FF Plus say the increases do little to resolve persistent problems in the province’s health sector and capital infrastructure.

EFF Free State chairperson, MPL Mapheule Liphoko, criticised the governing ANC for failing to prioritise the most vulnerable communities.

“When you look at the department of health for an example, it’s still not given as much attention as you would like it to be given considering the fact that service delivery across the province, health is quite the weakest service that people are still getting, especially the poorest of the poor.”

He highlighted ongoing shortages in medical staff and supplies at provincial clinics. “You would go to any clinic, to the highest clinic you can come across, the is either a shortage of nurses, a shortage of everything, including medication, at some point.

“So we are very much worried about the distribution of monies the way it’s budgeted; it’s like the ANC is not aware of how they can touch the lives of our people.”

The provincial adjustment for the department of health amounts to R415.159 million, allocated as follows:

• R381.895 million for employee compensation and recruitment of unemployed doctors, including goods and services such as linen, beds and funding for accruals.
• R20.426 million for continued services previously supported under the President’s emergency plan for Aids relief (PEPFAR).
• R12.838 million from approved equitable share rollovers.

Low capital expenditure

Despite this allocation, the opposition believes the funding does not adequately address systemic shortfalls in the health system. FF Plus MPL Armand Cloete raised additional concerns, particularly regarding the province’s low capital expenditure, which he says indicates slow progress on infrastructure development.

“That means that we are quite slow with these capital expenditures, in other words, new infrastructure that should be built,’ he said, and also criticised the province for returning funds to the national government.  

“We are also concerned about the fact that R32 million will be given back to the national treasury due to the fact that Free State departments did not spend that money, so we are giving it back to the national treasury.

“That money could have been used in the Free State, but now it’s been used in the other provinces. I think provincial government should really look into that on the fact that why they are losing money to other provinces.”

While the MEC Makume outlined the reasons behind the adjustment, opposition parties insist that the provincial government must urgently address inefficiencies in spending and prioritisation. They argued that without focused investment in health and infrastructure, service delivery challenges will persist throughout the Free State.

• Have a news tip to share? Phone or whatsapp the OFM News Hotline: 066 487 1427.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh