Limpopo's R52bn budget

LIMPOPO finance MEC Rudolph Phala gave education the biggest slice of the province's budget yesterday.

But the opposition slammed Phala's budget as very "vague" in terms of economic growth and job creation and for failing to own up to the unspent R500-million returned to National Treasury.

The provincial department of cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs lost the R500-million to Treasury after it failed to build RDP houses in the province last year.

The amount was part of R1.2-billion aimed at building RDP houses.

Reacting to Phala's budget yesterday, EFF chief whip in the Limpopo legislature, Jossey Buthane, said they were disappointed.

"The ANC-led government is lying to the people," Buthane said.

"It continues to talk about building more houses with the little resources that it has, but forgets to tell them that more than R500-million meant for building houses for poor people was returned to the National Treasury."

Phala announced that the province's overall budget stood at R52.72-billion, with education receiving a whopping 48% at R25.285-billion.

Health received the second-biggest part and was allocated R14.754-billion.

DA provincial spokesman on Treasury, Langa Bodlani, said Phala did not mention how SMMEs (small, medium and micro enterprises) - the drivers of economic growth - would be supported by this budget.

He said Phala had mentioned the need for austerity measures but did not identify any cost-containment measures.

Phala said they expected to collect the province's own revenue of R976-million , and were looking at reaching the R1-billion mark by the 2016/17 financial year.

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