FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana yesterday said the government would hire 12 000 new police officers in a bid to beef up the security of the country.
In his 2022 Budget Speech, Godongwana outlined South Africa’s expenditure, saying the SAPS had been allocated R1 billion to implement personnel reforms. The SAPS was also allocated an additional R8.7bn to its budget.
“We are beginning to say, if we do not deal with the security of the country, it’s not going to be helpful … The police and other law enforcement agencies would not be able to do their job because of the lack of resources.”
Last year, South Africa was gripped by civil unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The police came under fire as citizens complained about their lack of presence, and Godongwana said he wanted to correct this.
In the next three years, the government has also allocated R3.33 trillion to support low-income households.
“This is about 60 percent of non interest spending,” Godongwana said.
The Budget set provision for the strengthening of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Its budget was increased by R1.1bn, while the office of the Chief Justice received an additional R39.9 million.
The government has also aside an extra R32bn for financial support to current bursary holders, and first-year students under the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
The minister said R24.6bn would be allocated to provincial education departments to address the shortfalls in the compensation of teachers.
“An additional R15.6bn is also allocated to provincial health departments to support their continued response to the Covid-19 pandemic and bridge the shortfalls in essential goods and services,” he said.
About R3.3bn has been allocated to absorb medical interns and community service doctors.
The Department of Social Development would receive the largest share in the Budget, totalling R58.6bn. Part of the money would be for the initiation of a new extended child support grant for orphans.
“This is to encourage the care of orphans within families rather than in foster care,” he said.
Permanent social grants would receive inflationary increases.
“For the 2022/2-23 fiscal year, the old-age, war veterans, disability and care dependency grants will increase by R90 in April, and a further R10 in October. The foster care and child support grants will increase by a once-off R20 in April,” the minister said.
The Department of Social Development is to get R44bn for a 12-month extension of the R350 social relief of distress grant introduced in 2020/2021 as temporary relief to those who lost economic opportunities due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This emergency grant added to the country’s already extensive social safety net. South Africa now pays a grant to more than 46 percent of the population,” Godongwana said.
The South African Roads Agency was allocated an additional R9.9bn for maintaining the non-toll road network.
“I am also pleased to announce that the project to modernise six border posts, including Beitbridge, is at an advanced stage of preparation,” he said.
Acting Absa Stockbrokers & Portfolio Management chief investment office Ricardo Smith said in a comment after the Budget that Godongwana’s first national Budget Speech had attempted to touch on all the key economic issues including fiscal consolidation, economic growth, state-owned enterprises and debt stabilisation, with a surprise tax relief for corporates.
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