EFF, DA reaction to Limpopo’s R83,11 billion budget: “MEC was just excited when he spoke about increases…He was actually referring to roll-overs”

THE two major opposition parties in Limpopo have each described as a “disappointment” the all-inclusive R83,11 billion provincial budget.

EFF provincial leader, Tshilidzi Maraga, was scathing in her reaction to the budget, saying the government was “continuing to lie to communities”.

“As EFF, we are saying that these people must stop lying to the communities and they must know that the things that they said must implement them. The speech did not even touch on service delivery.

“He [Treasury MEC Seaparo Sekoati] never talked about water nor quality roads – the entire service delivery. We are saying the community of Limpopo must not get tired and we are going for the elections on 29 May, and that is when they must take this government out,” Maraga said.

She said the party has drilled some boreholes and installed tanks with signs that “show this is EFF water”.

Democratic Alliance (DA) provincial leader, Lindy Wilson, said the MEC [Seaparo Sekoati] was “just excited when he spoke about increases in the budget – he was actually referring to roll-overs”.

“Roll-overs are not an increase in the budget – it is money that has already been accounted for and it is already spent to pay outstanding invoices currently on the table.

“The entire water and sewage system in the province has collapsed. In order to encourage development, those things need to be in place. This budget has dealt with nothing of that sort ever. Talk is cheap,” Wilson said.

The provincial treasury tabled a budget which it said was largely targeted at projects that were ready to be implemented by various state departments.

In his address, Treasury MEC, Seaparo Sekoati, spoke of the upward and downward adjustment of the province’s equitable share in the 2024 medium term expenditure framework which resulted in a net increase of R1,651 billion.

“These net increases mainly cushioned the social sector departments (health and education) against the impact of reductions to ensure the protection of core services delivered by these departments. It will ensure that we continue to fully compensate the doctors, nurses, educators, and fill critical vacancies in the education and health sector,” he said.