The Mpumalanga Budget Speech presented on 16 March has Delmas locals and political parties concerned.
Unemployment rate in the province has increased to 46.4% as of Q4 2020. The construction sector alone has lost more than 30 000 jobs. The budget lacked a clear path towards re-creating employment in the midst of the Covid-19, this according to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey of Stats SA, Mpumalanga recorded net job losses of 96 382 in 2020.
Vusi Mkhatshwa the new Finance, Economic Development and Tourism MEC presented the Mpumalanga provincial 2021/2022 R53.5 Billion budget speech in a sitting of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga has warned the people of the province to brace themselves for tough times ahead in a statement.
“It is a clear thing really; these decisions do not have the people at heart. I now work for myself. The government has abandoned the young people. It is clear the budget does not speak to solving the problems.
Young people are suffering all over because there are no prospects for them anymore. There is no work. What will the younger generation do?” asked Captain Senzo Mashiyane, a former policeman regarding the budget speech.
DA in Mpumalanga also expressed their disappointment on the provincial budget speech saying that it did not give direction and clear programmes on government’s response to unemployment and job losses caused by Covid-19.
MEC Mkhatshwa said little on small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) support in the provincial budget. Small businesses are what now driving the local economy during the pandemic as locals have lost their formal jobs. Zanele Ndlovu, a Mbombela based SMMEs expert and consultant pointed out that, “Budget consultations within communities in the province are forever flawed. It will not be a surprise to have a budget like was presented on 16 March. Provincial government needs to be more consultative with the people to understand their needs.”
