KZN's budget boost: Finance MEC Francois Rodgers welcomes allocations for health, education and disaster relief
KZN Finance MEC Francois Rodgers has welcomed the National Treasury's new allocations for the health and education departments and disaster relief.
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KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Francois Rodgers has welcomed the additional allocations made by the National Treasury to support critical provincial priorities in the 2025/26 financial year.
The KZN Treasury said in a statement that the allocations were announced by Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement on Wednesday.
The provincial treasury said the following key allocations had been made:
Health: An additional R1.39 billion has been allocated to the Provincial Equitable Share (PES) for Health. This funding will address urgent pressures in the department, including the continued employment of community service doctors and interns, offsetting budget pressures in personnel, and funding essential goods and services.
Education: The Education sector will receive R640.8 million to retain teachers and offset budget pressures under Compensation of Employees. Further allocations include R354 million for the Education Infrastructure Grant (EIG) unforeseen and unavoidable allocation.
Disaster Funding: The province has been allocated over R630 million for disaster recovery, including R199 million for Health Facility Revitalisation, R300.5 million for Provincial Roads Maintenance, and R79 million to the Education Infrastructure Grant, along with additional funds for Agriculture and Rural Development (R32m) and Public Works and Infrastructure (R21m).
The Treasury said these funds will be used for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by rainfall, flooding, thunderstorms, and strong winds between April 2024 and June 2025.
KZN Finance MEC Francois Rodgers said: “We welcome these additional allocations from National Treasury, which will enable us to continue providing vital services to the people of KwaZulu-Natal. The funding for Health and Education will help retain skilled professionals and ensure the sustainability of essential programmes.
“The disaster relief allocations will support our ongoing efforts to rebuild and rehabilitate infrastructure affected by severe weather events. We thank National Treasury for their continued support and commitment to the province's development.”
Rodgers added that the additional allocations combined with the provincial financial recovery plan will ensure that spending is stabilised within the constrained fiscal framework, ensuring that departments operate within the budget allocations.
“The Provincial Treasury will work closely with all affected departments to ensure the effective and transparent use of these funds, in line with the requirements of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and the Appropriation Act.”