Caucus leader Roy Jankielsohn opposed the budget vote that was held on Thursday (14/5) at the Bloemfontein City Hall. The event, which drew various public stakeholders, was hosted under the leadership of speaker Mxolisi Dukwana to outline departmental funding priorities.

The opposition does not support the budget this year because it is not different from previous years, while the situation on the ground is very different, Jankielsohn said. This refusal stems from concerns over provincial infrastructure decay, raising specific alarms over decaying hospital infrastructure and a lack of support for struggling local municipalities.

“Our roads infrastructure has deteriorated considerably, which is having a huge economic impact on our province, and the ability of the province to create jobs for our people, especially the thousands of unemployed young people out there.”

The crumbling road network severely harms the agricultural sector and strictly limits long-term employment opportunities, he added. “Other infrastructures, such as hospitals and government buildings, are also in decay, and this budget doesn’t address that. It also doesn’t address our municipal crisis.”

Adding to these issues, the opposition criticised the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) for failing to make municipalities deliver basic services like water, electricity, and sewage removal. Jankielsohn also criticised the underfunding of the legislature itself, which he argued deliberately limits the institution’s ability to conduct vital oversight.

To fix the ongoing crisis, he proposed cutting administrative waste in departments like agriculture and economic development to fund roads and essential veterinary services to fight livestock diseases.

Various stakeholders at the Budget Vote for the Free State Legislature. Photo: Refilwe Bekane

Jankielsohn called for a reduction in bloated administrative budgets within the department of the premier to redirect funds toward this critical infrastructure.

Ultimately, he argued that sustainable job creation requires private sector investment rather than a sole reliance on temporary employment programmes.

The province must shift away from relying solely on temporary Expanded Public Works Programmes, he said, and instead prioritise infrastructure development to attract private sector investment. Watching the floor debate unfold, he noted the visible tension among the ruling party’s leadership.

“I saw a lot of nervous members of the executive out there; the MEC of finance and the Premier were very worried during this debate, whether they are in fact going to be able to pass their budget.”

OFM News/Refilwe Bekane sm

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