South Africa: Three key Government Clusters are to report service delivery plans for the new 2023/2024 fiscal year in the KZN Legislature on Wednesday, 19 April 2023.
The KwaZulu-Natal Government Departments will be tabling departmental budget votes aimed at addressing citizens’ needs. The Departments will present clear plans to fast-track service delivery and benefit the province’s citizens.
The three clusters are Social, Economic and Justice, Crime Prevention as represented by Health, Social Development, Public Works, as well as Community Safety and Liaison. Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane and Community Safety MEC Sipho Hlomuka will table their budget votes, outlining how the government will safeguard citizens’ lives.
MEC Simelane and MEC Hlomuka will present their Department Budget Policy Speech and provide updates at 14h00. The health budget will focus on increasing funding for preventive care measures such as vaccination campaigns, screening programmes, and public health education initiatives to reduce the burden of illness on citizens and the healthcare system. The budget will also prioritize investments in healthcare infrastructure and technology, including telemedicine capabilities and electronic health records systems, to improve access to quality care and promote better health outcomes for all.
The government has recognized the urgent need to address the mental health crisis facing the province and will allocate significant resources to expand mental health services and resources, including support for innovative treatments and interventions.
The Community Safety and Liaison budget aims to increase community safety by investing in crime prevention programmes such as neighbourhood watch initiatives, community policing, and youth outreach programs aimed at addressing the root causes of crime.
The government will also focus on implementing technology solutions such as CCTV cameras and crime mapping tools to enhance law enforcement operations and improve public safety outcomes. The budget will prioritize funding for the recruitment, training, and equipping of law enforcement officers, with a focus on increasing diversity and promoting community-oriented policing practices.
This will be followed by the Department of Social Development Budget Vote 13, presented by MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza and Public Works MEC Ntuthuko Mahlaba at 16h30 at the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature.
MEC Khoza’s budget will seek to restore confidence and address the challenges faced by women, youth, and vulnerable groups in the province. The budget speech will outline measures that will be implemented to address social issues that affect the lives of citizens, such as poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
The Department has a duty to ensure that every person in the province has access to opportunities and support that can help them achieve their potential. MEC Mahlaba’s budget will outline the Department’s interventions on infrastructure development, investing in the maintenance and upgrading of critical infrastructure such as public buildings to ensure their safety, reliability, and longevity.
The Department will prioritize the development of partnerships with local communities, businesses, and other government agencies to foster collaboration and leverage resources to deliver high-quality public works projects that meet citizens’ needs, including the public employment massification job-creation Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).