KZN Budget: No money left as ANC turn government into an employment agency

7 March 2024

Today’s KwaZulu-Natal Budget presentation, by Finance MEC, Peggy Nkonyeni, has made it very clear - there is no money in the province’s coffers.

The MEC outlined the fiscal challenges facing KZN, yet she failed to tell us how her ANC-run government will turn the situation around. This, as revised estimates see the province facing a R4 billion budget cut – from R154 billion to R150 billion.

She also had no solutions to the fact that 85.6% of the provincial budget goes to Compensation of Employees (CoE), leaving very little to address KZN’s ongoing poverty, inequality and service delivery crises.

The reality is that KZN’s Taliban faction ANC government has become an employment agency at the expense of service delivery. Regrettably, there is little hope on the horizon for KZN’s people as local government also faces a massive cut and as more bad news is expected from national government in terms of municipal grants.

Employment prospects for KZN’s people also remain bleak as government continues to fail in its mandate to provide an environment conducive to business growth. The outcome is further poverty and inequality, as citizens have nowhere to turn after the withdrawal of funding to KZN’s non-profit organizations (NPOs).

Education - which comprises almost 43% of the budget – sees no improved opportunities, nor improved education outcomes. There is also no focus on the essentials of furniture, transport, books and more teachers. So-called budget increases within Health are also set to go towards CoE.

Regrettably for our province’s long-suffering people, KZN’s financial outlook is extremely poor. The DA has a plan to rescue our province through the immediate implementation of skills and lifestyles audits aimed at creating a capable and ethical state.

Issued by Francois Rodgers, Leader of the DA in the KZN Legislature, 7 March 2024