The government has set aside more than R20bn to save thousands of jobs in the public health sector, including hiring 800 doctors.
This was announced by finance minister Enoch Godongwana in parliament on Wednesday, where he tabled his latest version of the 2025/2026 budget, dubbed budget 3.0.
He told MPs that R20.8bn would be added to the budget of the health department in the next three years or the medium-term expenditure framework.
The government has recently been under fire for not hiring unemployed doctors who have completed their community service, while there were serious staff shortages at various public hospitals across the country.
And additional R1.4bn is earmarked for the construction of Siloam hospital and the implementation of public-private partnership health technology at Tygerberg Hospital.
— Enoch Godongwana
The unemployed medical graduates even resorted to a public strike in protest against their joblessness.
Godongwana said the R20bn, would be used to save about 4,700 posts in the public health sector.
“The health sector is provisionally allocated R20.8bn to cover compensation and essential services. This funding will facilitate the employment of 800 doctors who have finished their community service, safeguard about 4,700 health posts and address shortages in medical goods, services, and accruals.
“And additional R1.4bn is earmarked for the construction of Siloam hospital and the implementation of public-private partnership health technology at Tygerberg Hospital.”
Turning to the education space, another R19bn has also been earmarked towards saving more than 5,000 teacher posts.
A further R10bn would also be funding the expansion of the Early Child Development (ECD) to cover an added 700,000 children in the MTEF period.
“A provisional allocation of R19.5bn is included for provincial education compensation costs, for safeguarding about 5,500 educator posts and for improving access to quality early childhood development. The ECD subsidy, unchanged since 2019 at R17 per child day, will be increased to R24 per day. Additional funding of R10bn over the medium term will expand ECD access to additional 700,000 up to the age of five years old.”
TimesLIVE
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