ANC votes against increasing jobs and social grants for the poor in SA 

17 May 2016 

Today, the ANC voted against the DA's proposals to make adjustments of R9.52 billion to the 2016/17 budget which were aimed at improving the lives of people in South Africa. 

The amendments were proposed at a meeting of the Standing Committee on Appropriations. However, in the end the ANC voted against the DA's proposals to:

- create jobs by allocating an additional R1.2 billion to fund approximately 180 000 new work opportunities in the Expanded Public Works Programme;

- fight crime by allocating an additional R500 million to establish a specialized unit to fight gang and drug-related crime;

- assist poor students by allocating R2.73 billion to inter alia provide additional funding to 205 000 students who qualify for funding under the National Student Financial Aid Scheme;

- fight corruption by allocating an additional R117.89 million to fully fund the Office of the Pubic Protector;

- assist poor households by allocating an additional R2.24 billion to assist social grant beneficiaries battling high food prices; and

- provide drought relief by allocating an additional R2.73 billion to assist drought-stricken communities. 

The proposed amendments were "budget neutral" and would have been funded by reprioritizing expenditure, within the existing budget, and would have had no effect on the fiscal deficit, which is estimated to be R139 billion, or 3.2% of GDP, in 2016/17. 

Issued by David Maynier, DA Shadow Minister of Finance, 17 May 2016