(Note to Editors: Please note Tim Brauteseth, MPL sound bite in English)
The Democratic Alliance (DA), as a responsible Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) partner, welcomes today’s debate on the KwaZulu-Natal 2026/27 budget.
This budget, crafted skilfully by Finance MEC, Francois Rodgers and his Treasury team, is not just a ledger of figures. It is a statement of intent to govern with fairness, discipline, and courage. It is also a bold yet disciplined plan to strengthen frontline services while ensuring fiscal integrity and accountability.
KZN’s resources are not infinite. Every rand must be earned, borrowed responsibly, or reallocated and this budget is about difficult but necessary choices.
The 2026/27 budget is guided by the principles of equity, efficiency and accountability, which underpin allocations across Health, Education, Housing, and Infrastructure.
These include:
• Health: Strengthened hospital, clinic and emergency medical services, with clean procurement and elimination of waste;
• Education: Prioritisation of teacher posts, school nutrition and infrastructure upgrades, with strict accountability;
• Human Settlements: Expansion of housing units and serviced sites, focusing on sustainable communities integrated with jobs and services; and
• Infrastructure: Investment in roads, bridges and water systems, with tighter project management and fiscal controls.
The DA further welcomes measures to tighten fiscal governance, including expenditure reviews, performance-based budgeting, enhanced audit capacity, and transparent reporting.
KZN’s 2026/27 budget is not one of easy rhetoric and empty promises and the DA firmly rejects the uMkhonto weSizwe Party’s (MKP) delusional and irrational perceptions that the GPU commands an endless stream of money. This is a perilous myth.
Populist promises of endless spending ignore the harsh realities of debt, inflation, and fiscal sustainability. Realism must be embraced. This means tough choices, disciplined spending and relentless focus on outcomes. Every school built must educate, every clinic funded must heal and every road constructed must connect.
The DA in KZN reaffirms its commitment to building a province of opportunity, dignity and shared prosperity by ensuring that every rand spent delivers value for money.