Note to Editors: Please note Tim Brauteseth, MPL sound bite in English
The DA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) welcomes the 2026/27 provincial budget, tabled by Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) Finance MEC, Francois Rodgers, earlier today.
This is a budget that puts people first, recognising the daily realities faced by families, learners, patients, frontline workers and many others across our province. For too long, shrinking budgets and rising fiscal pressures have placed essential services under strain. Today’s budget begins to turn that tide.
The DA is particularly encouraged by the strong protection of provincial frontline departments – Education, Health and Social Development – which together receive more than 80% of KZN’s budget. This means that teachers in classrooms, nurses in clinics and social workers within vulnerable communities are better supported to continue delivering services that touch every household in our province.
The Provincial Equitable Share, which forms the bulk of KZN’s funding, is also growing positively over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). This includes major additional allocations to Education and Health, to ease long-standing pressures caused by previous budget cuts. These increases directly help stabilise schools, hospitals and community services, ensuring that KZN’s people receive the care, learning and support they deserve.
While there is a decline in the equitable share in the outer years of the MTEF, this challenge is not insurmountable. The Provincial Financial Recovery Plan – already underway – gives KZN the ability to reprioritise funds, cut wasteful expenditure and redirect money toward the services that matter most.
Through disciplined spending, eliminating inefficiencies and strengthening oversight, KZN can protect essential services, even during tougher fiscal years.
This budget shows that responsible financial management is not about cutting – it is about choosing wisely. It is about ensuring that KZN’s people feel the impact of every rand spent.
The DA, as a responsible partner within KZN’s GPU, remains committed to supporting measures that safeguard essential services and rebuild trust when it comes to public finances, so that every community benefits from a government that works for them.