The 2022 medium-term budget speech was almost like a one-man play that bounced between moments of boredom, shock, comedy, and horror.
The news of 15,000 new police members over the next three years was one of the aspects that provoked various reactions.
“On the one hand, this is certainly good news, because security is a huge challenge in the country that also has a large-scale impact on the economy. However, it is also a reality that 15,000 police members in three years are not the only answer and that so much more is needed to address the country’s crime issue. I would like to see more specialist units created,” says Mr Bennie van Zyl, TLU SA General Manager.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s medium-term budget speech also brought the news of the government taking over a large part of Eskom’s huge debt, the R350 allowance continues until March 2024 and civil servants are not going to get more than a 3% increase.
Reaction to the above will be varied and action such as strikes are a possibility.
“There is a gap between announcements and the reality of implementation. If the government persists in its path of cadre deployment, BEE and will not apply only expertise as criteria in the appointment of posts, the budget is not necessarily to the benefit of South Africa’s people. It’s as if Godongwana expressed his hopes and wishes but forgot about reality. Perhaps he also should have said, given the history of the results of cadre deployment and associated corruption, who is going to do all these things!”
Read the original article in Afrikaans on TLU SA
