KZN GPU R3.6billion Additional Funding

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KZN GPU R3.6Billion Additional Funding

CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE_EDITOR©®™ 

Members of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Legislature considered the Division of Revenue Amendment Bill (DORAB) - a critical instrument that adjusts financial allocations across all spheres of government. While the DA supports transparency and fiscal accountability, we must also confront the challenges that undermine meaningful public participation and service delivery.

The first essential improvement in this Bill is the introduction of ‘Column A’ in the schedules. This new column shows the original allocation, the adjustment and the revised allocation side by side – a simple but powerful reform. For too long, adjustments were buried in technical annexures, making it difficult for legislators and the public to track changes. Column A brings clarity and accountability. It allows us to see, at a glance, how much was promised, how much was changed, and what the final figure is. Transparency is not a luxury - it is the foundation of trust in public finance.

The MK Party and EFF did not welcome this development, effectively rejecting the Bill while exposing that transparency is clearly antithetical to both parties.

The second improvement is that the Bill provides for targeted adjustments, including disaster recovery funds and corrections to previous errors. For KZN, this includes an additional R354million under the Education Infrastructure Grant for repairing schools damaged by storms, and technical corrections shifting funds erroneously allocated under Human Settlements grants to the Provincial Equitable Share. These changes matter because they enable urgent repairs and restore fiscal accuracy. But allocations on paper mean nothing unless they translate into repaired classrooms, functioning clinics and safe roads.

However, we must be honest about the process. Section 118 of the Constitution obliges the KZN Legislature to facilitate public involvement in law-making. Yet, the timelines imposed by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) make compliance almost impossible. The Bill was adopted by the National Assembly on 4 December, referred to provinces that evening, and negotiating mandates were due by 9 December. This left barely five days – which included a weekend - for committees to study the Bill, consult stakeholders, and deliberate. Public hearings were not feasible, with notices and documents instead posted online in the hopes of written submissions. None were received - not because people don’t care, but because the timeframe was unreasonable.

This is not how participatory democracy should work. The NCOP must respect provincial legislatures and the constitutional principle of public involvement. Rushed mandates erode trust and reduce oversight to a tick tick-box exercise. The DA calls for a review of these timelines to ensure that provinces can do their jobs properly.

The DA’s priorities remain clear:

• Transparency through ‘Column A’ and open reporting

• Efficient absorption of funds - no roll-overs, no delays

• Disaster recovery that delivers real repairs, not just plans.

• Health and education allocations that improve frontline services and;

• A legislative process that honours the Constitution, not undermines it.

The DA supports the intent of this Bill but will continue to fight for a process that is transparent, participatory and focused on outcomes - because budgets are not about numbers, they are about people.

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