Claimed budget increases for KZN departments 'not quite true'

Finance MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube tabled the province's R139 billion budget on Wednesday.

The KZN Education Department took the lion's share at R1.8 billion, while KZN Health Department was allocated R1.5 billion.

Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu has welcomed the announcement.

He says the allowance will cushion the blow from last year's massive budget cut.

"But, the reality is that 90 percent of it is going to salaries of existing staff, so we are only left with 10 percent of the number of competing interests such as building new schools, refurbishing schools, pole hole programmes, ICT programmes and scholar transport." 

READ: Dube-Ncube tables R139bn KZN budget

Inkatha Freedom Party leader Velenkosini Hlabisa says the budget promotes self-reliance but falls short in dealing with some challenges.

"What is regrettable is that the Department of Transport did not receive a bigger share in this budget. This, therefore, means roads, bridges, potholes will remain the same in our communities." 

Democratic Alliance KZN leader Francois Rodgers says although they're pleased that conditional grants have been increased - there are other hurdles.

"The fact that the MEC indicated that most departments are getting an increase is not quite true. Because the increase she is referring to is the increase on last year's budget, not the actual expenditure. So as a province last year, we budgeted R133 billion and we, in fact, spent R141 billion."