The North West Departments of Health, Education, Public Works and Roads have received the biggest chunk of the 2023/24 budget allocation according to the North West MEC for Finance, Motlalepula Rosho who tabled her R51.9 billion budget at the provincial Legislature in Mahikeng on Tuesday.
Rosho said the Department of Health gets R15 billion to improve services at health facilities by ensuring there are medicines and medical supplies at the clinics and hospitals.
“The Department of Health receives an amount of R15.219 billion. The additions to the conditional grant allocations for the Department of Health amount to R113 million for 2023/24 for the Health Facility Revitalisation Grant, Human Resource & Training Grant, National Health Insurance Grant, National Tertiary Services Grant and Expanded Public Works Programme(EPWP).
‘’Availability of medicine and medical supplies in clinics and hospitals is key to preserve lives and improve conditions thereof. Medical inflation is normally higher than normal goods and services inflation, however, provincial budgets are not growing at a faster rate compared to medical expenditure. This results in the Department of Health registering accruals on medicines and medical supplies year-on-year,’’ Roshso said.
In order to accommodate Early Childhood Development (ECD) the Department of Education was allocated R20.575 billion.
“ Included in this budget is an amount of R153 million in the 2023/24 financial year for the Early Childhood Development Grant, National School Nutrition Programme Grant and Education Infrastructure Grant.
“Early Childhood Development Grant receives a top-up subsidy amount of R30 million in the outer two years for increasing access to the Early Childhood subsidy (ECD), pre-registration support packages and nutrition support and results-based finance initiative,” she said.
The MEC said R3.835 billion was given to the Department of Public Works and Roads for road maintenance.
“Public Works and Roads receives R3.825 billion including an increase to the Provincial Roads Maintenance Grant of R421 million to incentivize comprehensive road maintenance planning, to improve the road network through maintenance and rehabilitation of provincial roads. The funding is added for the 2023/24 financial year,” said Rosho.
Rosho said in order to cater for food relief programs and job creation in the sector, the Department of Social Development received R1.713 billion.
“Included in the allocation for Social Development are allocations for absorption of Social Worker graduates which amounts to R161.404 million, food relief programme at R24.249 million, R71.368 million for the fight against substance abuse and R171.6 million for expansion of social work services and these funds are allocated over the MTEF,” she said.
Opposition parties in the North West rejected Rosho’s 2023/24 budget speech. EFF’s Member of the legislature (MPL), Kelebogile Kerileng, said the budget will not address service delivery issues.
“In most cases when the budget speech is tabled, residents don’t benefit anything from it. I’ll make an example, previously Public Works and Roads was allocated a budget to maintain roads. But still, our roads in the province are in a terrible state and are getting worse by the day,” Kerileng said.
The DA’s MPL, Jacqueline Theologo criticised the government for failing to utilise conditional grants.
“When we look at what is happening with the conditional grants, the North West is known for not being able to spend its conditional grant. However, this financial year they have actually increased the conditional grants, with the second adjustment budget,” said Theologo.
