National Assembly passes several dept budgets despite objections from most opposition parties

CAPE TOWN - The National Assembly has managed to pass several department budgets despite objections from most opposition parties.

On Wednesday, the National Assembly was voting on each of the 42 departmental budgets as it tries to get the Appropriation Bill over the line at another marathon House sitting at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

The bill is the law that gives the government the green light to apportion public funds for departments and government services.

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The first vote to come before members was for the Presidency, which was supported by most parties, who also noted how the Presidency was not an implementing department. 

Patriotic Alliance (PA) Member of Parliament (MP), Marlon Daniels, urged parties to vote in favour of all budgets to ensure the smooth running of government.

"Why must we support all these votes? Simply because the appetite to turn things around in South Africa does not rely on one department only, but cuts across all different departments."

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs committee chairperson, Zweli Mkhize, reminded members of the need to support the R410 billion budget, which supports municipalities.

"We have to ensure that there’s accountability, consequence management, as well as the turnaround of these municipalities."

The voting continues and will wrap up once the final vote for land reform and rural development has been passed.