Northern Cape looks at infrastructure development for job creation

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Northern Cape Finance MEC Abraham Vosloo says the province’s budget allocations are aimed at addressing economic growth, unemployment and infrastructure development.

Despite the province’s budget cut of more than a R1 billion over the next three years, the MEC maintains that education and health remain the top priorities. Vosloo tabled the final budget speech for the sixth administration in Hartswater in the Northern Cape.

The health and education sector received the chunk of the R68 billion budget. The departments will receive R20 billion and R25 billion respectively.

The unemployment rate in the Northern Cape increased by 0.6 %. This means that 26 % of the population are unemployed.

Infrastructure development has been earmarked as a passage to create jobs.

“A budget has been set aside for infrastructure projects to boost job creation,” says Vosloo.

The last budget speech for the sixth administration received mixed views.

“It is a progressive budget,” says Northern Cape ANC Chairperson Dr Zamani Saul.

“It is all talk and fails to address issues,” says EFF Provincial chairperson Shadrack Tlhaole.

The province says it will continue to eradicate the housing backlog with an additional R400 million to the current R600 million loans from Development Bank of Southern Africa.

 Northern Cape Budget Speech 2024