MEC hits back over budget drama!

FREE State Finance MEC Ketso Makume finally addresses the intense criticism following his recent budget speech.

The budget has sparked intense debate and raised questions in the Provincial Legislature and among the public after the MEC announced that 70% of his budget had been allocated to the Education and Health Departments.

Democratic Alliance (DA) provincial spokesman Dulandi Leech strongly questioned Makume's decision, highlighting concerns about the substantial portion of the budget being directed towards salaries in these two departments.

"We're concerned that over R29 billion of the almost R46 billion budget is spent on compensation of employees in the provincial government. We welcome additional investment in infrastructure and personnel restructuring. However, MEC failed to provide personnel downsizing time frames or tangible targets for this plan."

Dulandi highlighted that municipalities operate independently, and it is crucial that Treasury makes more effort to maintain oversight in the allocated of funds.

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He said the municipality is among the worst-run in the country.

"Many cannot service their bulk services debts, maintain sewerage systems and provide basic services like water supply and refuse removal.

"MEC admitted that municipalities are not performing their core functions, but the proposed interventions sound like those of previous MECs. Political will is required to direct municipalities into proper financial management and service delivery compliance," he said.

Social media users questioned how the government plans to develop the economy with a reduced financial budget.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Sun, Makume explained that his decision to allocate a significant portion of the budget to education and health was motivated by the need to compensate employees in these critical sectors.

He emphasised that educators and healthcare professionals, including teachers and nurses, are vital to society, and their workforce needs to grow in line with the increasing population.

"The main reason for allocating a large portion of the budget to these two departments is for the compensation of employees. Whether we like it or not, there will never be a time when we don't need an educator in the classroom. As the population grows, social needs become more pressing.

"We need to invest more to ensure that teachers and nurses can continue to perform their duties effectively. It is our responsibility to provide learning materials, maintain the buildings where schools operate, and fund free education as promised."

Makume stressed that the compensation provided to educators and healthcare professionals is evident in the positive outcomes of their work.

"To prioritise compensation for employees in education and health aims to ensure that teachers and nurses can continue to do their jobs effectively, ultimately benefiting society as a whole."

In the questions of economic development, Makume said the relevant departments should seek investments to increase revenue enhancement.

He said the Department of Economic Development, Small Businesses, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs (Destea) is encouraged to devise strategies to attract investment.

Makume said economic growth remains a key priority, but significant efforts are required in areas such as tourism, small business development, and economic advancement.