KwaZulu-Natal’s financially strained frontline departments of health and education have been prioritised in the province’s R3.6bn adjustment budget, approved by the legislature on Wednesday despite the absence of opposition parties.
Members of the official opposition, the MK Party, and the EFF’s Thobisile Nkosi are serving a five-day suspension for “violent and unlawful” conduct during December’s failed motion to remove premier Thami Ntuli. Also absent was the EFF’s provincial leader Mongezi Twala, who submitted an apology.
The absentees did not halt proceedings and the participation of 41 members of the government of provincial unity in the virtual sitting ensured a quorum in the legislature.
The R3.6bn in additional funding from National Treasury includes R2bn added to the provincial equitable share to help departments manage budget pressures, as well as allocations for disaster relief, rebuilding and conditional grants.
Finance MEC Francois Rodgers said the adjustment budget is aimed at stabilising critical service delivery in the face of mounting fiscal pressure.
The education department received an additional R640.9m to address long-standing budget shortfalls in schools, including funding for early childhood development (ECD), infrastructure and learner support.
Rodgers said this allocation showed that the provincial government was not neglecting education.
We’ve got to protect frontline departments and spread what’s left across other departments.
— Francois Rodgers, KZN finance MEC
“Anybody who says this is a government that doesn’t care either doesn’t understand finance and numbers or is living on Neptune, because there it is — the allocation we are prioritising for the department of education.”
DA MPL Tim Brauteseth said this funding would help schools pay teachers and support staff and ensure learners receive learning and teaching support materials. He said increased ECD funding would see subsidies rise from R17 to R24 per child per day for centre-based programmes.
“For parents and caregivers, this means better nutrition, safer facilities and improved early learning for younger children,” Brauteseth said.
ANC MPL Mafika Mndebele welcomed the allocation, saying it would provide relief even if it did not resolve all challenges facing the department.
“This funding will ensure the protection of educators, strengthen scholars’ maintenance and secure learner material. This is what an ideal government does,” he said.
The health department received an additional R1.39bn to ease spending pressures, including funding to pay staff and maintain medical equipment.
A further R95.2m was allocated to the district health programme grant following the withdrawal of USAID and Pepfar funding to ensure HIV and related services continue without interruption, particularly in rural areas.
IFP MPL Dr Andile Biyela said the allocation highlighted the need for strong, independent health systems.
He said: “As much as we appreciate partnerships, we must never build our systems on dependency,” and praised government’s quick response to protect services in vulnerable communities.
An additional R985m was allocated for disaster relief and rebuilding, including repairs to schools and health facilities, road reconstruction and restoration of public infrastructure in flood-affected areas.
Rodgers said the province had adopted a fiscal recovery plan, warning that business-as-usual budgeting was no longer sustainable.
“We’ve got to protect frontline departments and spread what’s left across other departments,” he said.
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