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DENOSA response to the budget by Finance Minister which has relegated health expenditure
Media statement
Thursday, 25 February 2021
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) notes the budget that was presented by Finance Minister, although we are utterly disappointed that Health has dropped to the 4th position on the list of priority spending by the government at the time it should have been given priority in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The budget allocation of R248.8 billion to health is well behind that of education (R402.9 billion), Social Development (R335.9 billion) and Debt Service cost (R269.7 billion).
While we commend the allocation of the more than R10 billion for the country's vaccination programme for a two-year period, we are disappointed, however, that the same commitment is not made towards both human and material resources for the healthcare sector.
Our main concern is that the country will not stop dealing with the pandemic until we reach 67% herd immunity in our population by end of the year if things go according to plans. In the meantime, this means healthcare workers would still be cornered by the heavy work, when they have not had their salaries adjusted since April last year. Many healthcare workers are still sitting at home because they have not been absorbed by government due budget cuts in provinces.
On the issue of salary increase for public servants, the minister continues to duck and dive and pass the buck onto the minister of Public Service and Administration as if he is the one to make a final decision on salary increment.
Moreover, the Minister of Finance is talking of potential negotiations for yet another multi-term, when they are disputing the last leg of the current multi-term agreement. He must table that ridiculous multi-term agreement proposal at the bargaining council when he has proven that he cannot be trusted with the multi-term agreements. For our part, as DENOSA we are fixated on the single-term agreement.
Minister Mboweni repeated the same line that he read in his previous Budget Speech and during the Mid-Term Budget Policy Statement late last year that Minister Mchunu is in talks with stakeholders in labour regarding the salary increment, when he knows that the matter is now with the Constitutional Court, over an agreement that the legal representatives of the Department of Public Service and Administration believe is legal while legal representatives of the National Treasury believe it is illegal.
If Minister Mboweni has any proposal to make, he knows that the bargaining council is the relevant platform that was created for that purpose.
End
Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA).
For more information, contact:
Cassim Lekhoathi, DENOSA Acting General Secretary.
Mobile: 082 328 9671
Simon Hlungwani, DENOSA President
Mobile: 082 328 9635
Tel: 012 343 2315
Website: www.denosa.org.za
Facebook: DENOSA National Page
Twitter: @DENOSAORG
