Tasked with presenting how Gauteng would utilise the R158.945 billion budget, the MEC of Finance, Jacob Mamabolo gave a detailed overview of how the province would go forward throughout the year, addressing funding for crime prevention and control as well as E-Tolls.

With the key mention of safety and security, and moreover, the emphasis of community safety within the SOPA, the MEC announced the allocation of funds for this as a main priority.

The budget for the Department of Community Safety within the province has been doubled this year to R2.7 billion. This is to accommodate the growing need for resources that have been expressed to assist in fighting crime in the Province.

According to Mamabolo, R1.4 billion will be directed towards the 6,000 crime prevention wardens to be recruited as announced by the Premier in his SOPA.

When speaking on the province’s plans to deal with the energy crisis, Mamabolo expressed that R1.2 billion would be directed towards funding energy projects in the province, adding that the Premier’s office would be working alongside the Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Gauteng Provincial Treasury and Gauteng Infrastructure Financing Agency (GIFA) to come up with viable solutions to the energy crisis.

Increasing the budget in some areas, means the decrease in others, with the Health Department set to suffer a blow as Mamabolo decreased its budget by R1 billion from R61 billion.

Meanwhile, the announcement made last year to scrap e-tolls saw many expect Mamabolo to speak on the way forward regarding the outstanding debt from the e-toll system.

According to Mamabolo, funds have not been allocated yet to settle e-toll debt, adding that a memorandum of understanding between the provincial government, National Treasury and other relevant stakeholders is in the process of being drawn up.