Gauteng Finance MEC to deliver budget subject to legislature's approval

Gauteng Finance MEC Lebogang Maile is set to deliver his budget speech on Tuesday, with uncertainty over whether it will be adopted by the legislature.
 
The African National Congress (ANC) is leading a minority government in the province, meaning it doesn’t have the 50% plus one majority.
 
It’s expected that allocations for key portfolios such as health, education, and infrastructure will feature prominently in his speech.
  
Last year, Maile presented a R172 billion annual budget, which was later adjusted with an additional R3 billion.
 
Although the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) sits in the opposition benches, it supported the passing of the budget.
 
However, following a fallout with the ANC, EFF leader Julius Malema has vowed that his party will no longer assist the ANC in passing legislation or budget in the provincial legislature.
 
Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance (DA) provincial leader Solly Msimanga said he doubts that the upcoming budget speech will prioritise the service delivery needs of residents.
 
“Following Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s State of the Province Address (SOPA), residents now expect the budget to move beyond announcements and instead focus on fixing the basic services that Gauteng residents rely on every day.”
 
Maile recently announced that so far, the provincial government has spent more than 83% of its budget for the current financial year, which ends at the end of this month.