Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government tabled their departmental budgets during a sitting at the provincial legislature on Thursday.
The departmental budgets in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature are expected to respond to the recent floods related disaster.
The budget votes give a clear indication of the magnitude and resources required to rebuild the province following the recent devastating floods, which claimed 435 lives but also to deal with the effects of Covid-19 and the July unrest.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala outlined his budget, including the budget allocations of key priorities for the province and support to the Zulu Royal Household.
Zikalala announced a budget of R767 551 million for the 2022/2023 financial year.
The KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier is responsible for the Royal Household Trust and will provide the necessary support to King Misuzulu Sinqobile Hlomesakhisihlangu kaZwelithini. In the current financial year, an amount of R67 316 million is budgeted for the Royal Household programme.
Leader of the DA in the KZN Legislature and MPL Francois Rodgers said the provincial government’s poor track record when it comes to implementing funding is set to threaten the effectiveness of KZN’s R140 billion 2022/23 budget while also reducing the exercise to a mandatory legislative exercise.
“Another finding is the failure by departments to present monthly expenditure projections to portfolio committees to ensure swift intervention in the case of slow spending, which may result in underspending at year-end,” he said.
Two other budgets would be done by KZN Provincial Treasury. MEC Dube-Ncube will outline her plans to mobilise funds by assisting provincial departments to spend their re-prioritised budgets to respond to the immediate needs of the National Disaster as a result of the floods.
The MEC for Transport Peggy Nkonyeni will also present her department’s budget.
Nkonyeni will also outline the department’s service delivery programme as transport remains the backbone of the economy and central to the reconstruction and economic recovery of the province. Road networks have experienced major destruction during the floods. The MEC is expected to outline a detailed impact on infrastructure and approach to recovery and reconstruction.
Daily News