Eastern Cape Finance MEC, Sakhumzi Somyo, has once again allocated the lion’s share of the province’s budget of the 2018/2019 financial year to the Departments of Health and Education.
Tabling his total budget of R78.4bn in the Bhisho Legislature on Wednesday, Somyo allocated R34.7bn or 44.3% of the total budget to the Department of Education.
He also allocated R23.6bn to the Department of Health, accounting for 30.2% of the 2018/2019 budget.
The Departments of Social Development and Human Settlements will have to make do with R2.8bn and R2.3bn respectively.
The Department of Transport gets R4.8bn while MEC Somyo has allocated R2.3bn to the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform.
MEC Somyo said over the medium term, the Eastern Cape budget is expected to grow to R82.4bn in the 2019/2020 financial year and up to R87.9bn in the 2020/2021 financial year.
In concluding his budget presentation, MEC Somyo reminded Members of the Bhisho Legislature of the words of late former President and icon, Nelson Mandela who said on his release from prison in 1990 that “I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the People.”
“We have Madiba as our nearest and brightest star to guide us on our way,” he concluded.
