Some opposition parties in Gauteng Legislature remain critical of Maile's revised budget

JOHANNESBURG - Some opposition parties in the Gauteng Legislature remain critical of Finance MEC Lebogang Maile's revised provincial budget, even after adjustments were made.
Maile retabled the budget on Wednesday to accommodate key changes in the province's projected revenue.
An additional R886 million has been added, bringing the total projected revenue to R172 billion for the current financial year.
ALSO READ:
• Gauteng govt discloses that only 4 of 11 municipalities tabled funded budgets
• Gauteng govt increases total projected revenue to R172bn in revised budget
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) provincial chairperson Nkululeko Dunga said Maile's budget doesn't reflect the true state of the province.
"I think the priorities on the budget are skewed on the basis that you have R1.2 billion that is allocated for the provincial legislature and political parties while you still have about R240 million allocated towards housing. A sound decision would have been to allocate R1.2 billion to the housing and the R200 million to the political parties."
The Democratic Alliance (DA)'s Ruhan Robinson said that budget allocation could have been better.
"All in all, many of our concerns stay exactly the same as with the previous budget. It's the enormous allocation of almost R5 billion to pay for the e-toll debt, which we still believe is not for the province to pay. We shouldn't be paying that money."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The South African

4 hours ago

• The South African

Duduzile claps back at Floyd Shivambu's 'takes drugs' comments

Duduzile Zuma-Samudla has finally responded to shady comments made by fellow MK Party MP, Floyd Shivambu. In a press briefing on Thursday, 19 June, the former secretary general accused his party nemesis of 'taking drugs'. Floyd was effectively demoted after the party condemned his visit to the wanted Malawian preacher, Shepard Bushiri, last month. On her Instagram Story, Duduzile shared a clip of herself laughing with EFF President Julius Malema. Like Duduzile, Floyd Shivambu threw Malema under the bus, claiming the latter was running a 'cult.' The daughter of Jacob Zuma captioned the clip: 'It's politics after all'. Image via Instagram: @duduzilezuma_sambudla Like Duduzile, Julius Malema has also subtly responded to Floyd Shivambu's comments. After the press conference, the 'CIC' reacted to Floyd's criticism of the EFF and those who supported him. Malema posted a clip of EFF top brass on X: 'The leadership we have is quite alright.' During the briefing, Floyd addressed several topics, including an interest in possibly establishing his own political party. The former MK Party secretary-general also used the opportunity to making shady comments about the ANC, which he labelled as 'directionless' and the EFF, which he called a 'cult'. Referring to his own party, Floyd made a comment many believe was directed at Duduzile, the daughter of the MK Party founder, Jacob Zuma. He said, 'When you raise issues internally, you don't need to gossip about them anywhere. All the issues and concerns I had about MK, I raised internally, even against all odds. When there is an opportunity to raise an issue about wrongdoings. I clearly speak against untouchables who take drugs, tweet at night, and insult us.' He added: 'We confront them and say 'What is this about?'' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.

Mail & Guardian

6 hours ago

• Mail & Guardian

Labour department denies racial quotas in Employment Equity Amendment Act

Minister of Labour and Employment Nomakhosazana Meth. (File photo) The department of employment and labour has rejected claims by the Democratic Alliance (DA) that the In April, the DA But labour department spokesperson Pertunia Lessing, told the Mail & Guardian that the Act 'does not have quotas'. The DA, whose challenge will be heard in the coming weeks, says the new amendments will 'make employers self-implement sectoral racial quotas', which give employers the right to identify and record an employee's race if the employee chooses not to disclose it voluntarily. In a written reply to a DA question in parliament, Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth said the amendment was meant to ensure 'reliable, existing historical data'. This would mean that an employee would either need to disclose their family history, which is considered personal information, or have their race assumed. DA spokesperson on labour Michael Bagraim said Meth's 'generic' definitions of persons of colour cannot stand in a democratic South Africa. 'This is a preposterous suggestion and appears to expect employers to conduct race inspections to tick a box, in order to avoid being fined,' he said. According to the Employment Equity Act, 'black people' is a generic term that includes African, coloured and Indian people. This definition in the Act has not been amended since 1998. According to the 2025 amendments, employers with 50 or more workers are required to ask each worker to fill out a form to declare their occupational level in terms of race, gender and disability status information. If an employee refuses to fill out the form or gives incorrect details, the employer is allowed to use reliable past or current information to determine the person's race, gender or disability status. This process must be done at the workplace and is the employer's legal duty. The DA accused the minister of not conducting a formal investigation based on evidence to establish the 'South Africa continues to be one of the most unequal nations on Earth, with more than eight million South Africans unemployed and a small elite enriched, making the evidence against employment equity regulations undeniable,' Bagraim said. The Act as amended further sets hiring quotas for 18 economic sectors, from mining and transport to construction and agriculture, in a bid to increase employment opportunities for 'designated groups' including black people, women and people living with disabilities. The DA noted that South Africa no longer uses the Population Registration Act, an 'It cannot stand that employers become racial classification agents,' Bagraim said.

The Citizen

9 hours ago

• The Citizen

Does South Africa need a political party led by Floyd Shivambu?

Is it a matter of time until the axe falls on Shivambu's head? Launching a new political party may not be the best move for Floyd Shivambu, the former secretary-general of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, according to a political analyst. On Thursday, Shivambu told reporters that he plans to consult various sectors of society about forming a new political party. This follows his public fallouts with the founder of the MK party, Jacob Zuma and his daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla. Speaking to The Citizen on Friday, political analyst Sanet Solomon said South Africa's ballot paper is already congested with a number of political parties, some of whom even fail to make it to parliament. 'I believe that his [Shivambu's] question has been answered before; the answer is no! The country already has 1 613 registered political parties. The country's challenges are well documented. 'What South Africa currently needs is service delivery, good governance, accountable leaders, and capable state institutions,' he said. Is Shivambu 'reading the room'? Solomon said that despite the wide range of political parties available to voters, many South Africans continue to face the realities of a stagnant economy and one of the most unequal societies in the world. 'While Shivambu did express the desire to consult different communities, it should be noted that the establishment of a new party suggests that he is not reading the room. 'People are disheartened by the lack of action from politicians and need accountability.' Solomon said Shivambu may also have to gain public trust if he is to launch a new political party. 'Given Floyd's current disposition, it may be advisable to take a few months to reflect and re-strategise as voters may distrust him owing that he had already represented the African National Congress (ANC), the EFF and MK [party] in such a short space of time. 'This political 'flip-flopping' is frowned upon,' she said. What happens to career politicians? Solomon said Shivambu's predicament in the MK party sheds light on a broader challenge facing career politicians. 'What happens once you have exhausted all your political options, but have never worked in another environment? 'As the country's political landscape shifts, future politicians may have to consider acquiring additional skill sets that allow them to move beyond the political realm,' she said. ALSO READ: Zuma's tirade against Shivambu indicates he is 'no longer useful to him' Still a member of the MK party Meanwhile, Shivambu reiterated that leaving the EFF for the MK party was the best political decision he has ever made. He took some jabs at the EFF saying he had learnt more in the MK party in the short space of time compared to the long years he had spent in the EFF. The MK party has not officially responded to Shivambu's remarks made during a press briefing held in his personal capacity. The party had removed him from the position of secretary-general for allegedly going on an unauthorised trip to Malawi where he met with Prophet Shepherd Bushiri. NOW READ: Shivambu says money stolen from MK party – and he won't resign