LOBAMBA – Cabinet ministers have come out strongly to defend their role in the national budget formulation process.
This emerged yesterday during the debate of the Report of the Finance Committee on Deliberations with the minister for Finance on the Appropriations for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 Financial Years, which was tabled in Parliament last Friday.
First to speak was Minister for Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi, who defended the Executive against claims that it is interfering in the National Budget process.
Buthelezi said there was no way the budget process could be conducted solely by technocrats until its conclusion without input from other stakeholders.
He said the fact that Members of Parliament (MPs) had made their voices heard by demanding an increase in elderly grants was in itself a sign that they were contributing to the process.
Buthelezi further said it would not benefit the country if the minister for Finance, after consulting Cabinet, made resolutions on the budget only for another minister to go before the Finance Committee and make separate demands.
Notably, before the start of the debate, Buthelezi sought clarity on whether adopting the report would undermine the powers of the Ministry of Finance Portfolio Committee.
In particular, he asked what would happen if the Finance Committee made resolutions on certain allocations that the portfolio committee might not agree with.
The clarification sought by the minister resulted in a back-and-forth exchange with the Chairperson of the Finance Committee and Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo, who repeatedly explained that the practice had existed for some time.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet defence continued with Minister for Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe, who said the budget formulation process is a difficult period for everyone involved.
Ndwandwe said this was because everyone had heard the Speech from the Throne and the concerns raised by citizens during Sibaya.
“We have heard what the people are saying. We have heard the advice of economists and the private sector on what needs to be done to develop our economy. It is a lot. Ministries appear before the Public Budgeting Committee and give it a headache. The process then goes to Cabinet, and all of this is done to ensure that we get it right. It is not easy,” he said.
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Minister Jane sacrifices E3 million for elderly grants
LOBAMBA – Minister for Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Simelane did something unusual in Parliament yesterday.
After listening to concerns raised by Members of Parliament that the national budget presented last week did not provide for the elderly grants, the minister offered what she described as a sacrifice.
In the Report of the Finance Committee on Deliberations with the Minister for Finance on the Appropriations for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 Financial Years, which was debated and adopted yesterday, it was stated that about E8.335 million allocated for Project R239/99, Rehabilitation of National Parks, had been reduced by E5 million.
The reduction was made because the project had received 18 allocations over several years without demonstrating adequate progress or providing sufficient justification.
During the debate, Simelane said that in the spirit of agape love, she was prepared to make a sacrifice.
“I request that we show love through actions. I will request that the E5 million, let us rather do vice versa. Let them bring the E5 million and take the E3 million. I have a valid reason for taking this decision. I have put my house in order. This year we will be working hard. I will be announcing a secretariat that will be on the ground doing all the work,” she said.
The minister said her ministry still had several important responsibilities, including land planning for the entire Big Five tourism project.
“The E3 million I am sacrificing can add value to the elderly grants,” she said.
The issue of elderly grants was by far the most topical during the debate on the Budget Speech, with both MPs and Cabinet ministers addressing the matter.
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Budget too tight for free secondary education – Rijkenberg
LOBAMBA – Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg has said the National Budget he tabled is too tight to accommodate several demands raised by Members of Parliament.
Rijkenberg made the remarks while responding to submissions during the debate on the 2026/2027 Budget.
Among the issues raised by MPs were calls for the introduction of free secondary education, increased elderly grants and the permanent employment of teachers currently serving on temporary contracts.
“The government notes the concern regarding the introduction of the free secondary education to ensure continuity from the free primary education programme,” the minister said.
He said, however, current fiscal constraints do not permit the immediate implementation of such a policy.
“The government will continue to explore sustainable options and progressively strengthen support mechanisms within the education sector as resources allow,” Rijkenberg said.
The minister also explained that government’s ability to absorb more public servants into permanent posts remains constrained by limited financial resources.
He described the current fiscal environment as ‘too tight’ to accommodate all employment demands.
Rijkenberg said the challenge facing government is largely a financing problem, noting that the budget does not have sufficient room to move all temporary employees onto permanent salaries without affecting other priorities.
He said placing everyone on permanent employment would effectively block spending in other critical areas.
*Full article available on Pressreader*
