Limpopo budget slammed for focus on salaries, not services
Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has defended the R86 billion provincial budget tabled by Finance MEC Kgabo Mahoai in Lebowakgomo on Tuesday.
Mahoai allocated a total of R42.5 billion to the Department of Education, which is the biggest slice of the pie, followed by R26 billion to the Department of Health.
"These two departments, which are service delivery oriented, are the key towards economic development. There isn't any way you can build your economy when you don't have a healthy nation. That is why health must be prioritised," said Ramathuba.
"There is no way that you can build your economy when you don't have skills that are relevant. Hence, education is our priority."
However, uMkhonto weSizwe Party MPL Velile Jack claimed the budget only focused on sustaining public servants’ salaries instead of job creation.
"The last time we had an MEC for Treasury here, it was during the time of Rudolph Phala. Currently, we have people who read amounts of monies that they are distributing to the departments which are not making any changes in terms of youth employment, people with disability and military veterans,” he said.
The DA’s Jacques Smalle said his party wants the government to spend more money on basic service delivery.
"We are taking the majority of our budget, close to about 70%, is going to salaries within the province, and less than 10% is going to infrastructure. The Department of Education just returned R168 million of unspent infrastructure money that was meant to build schools, which should not have happened."
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