SACP Gauteng`s response to the budget speech of Gauteng MEC for
Finance and Economic Affairs

29 February 2000

The SACP Gauteng Province welcomes the budget announced today (Tuesday) by MEC for Finance and Economic Affairs Jabu Moleketi particularly the govt's continued commitment to the provision of social services. Although more still needs to be done to achieve an equal society, we specifically welcome the following announcements on :

1. Capital Expenditure and Jobs.

We welcome the 25% increase in capital expenditure amounting to R1.2 billion. This will be spent in 2800 projects creating 18 420 jobs. Although this figure of jobs is far from overcoming the 28.3% unemployment rate of Gauteng, we hope it forms part of an overall offensive to create sustainable jobs. Job creation remains one of the key challenges facing our democracy.

2. Poverty alleviation.

This year has been declared by our Central Committee as the year for "Building Peoples Power for the Eradication of Poverty".We believe our country has adequate resources and capacity to eradicate the scourge and indignity of poverty. We welcome some of the provincial govt initiatives aimed at poverty alleviation, particularly the increase of child grant
beneficiaries from 2000 in March 1999 to 39 000 in January 2000 and the 343 000 individuals who receive welfare grants totalling R168 000 every month.We reiterate our earlier call for more beneficiaries to be identified for these programmes. Any form of corruption in managing these programmes should be exposed and dealt with harshly.

3. Infrastructure Investment.

The investment in infrastructure to stimulate economic growth is important.

• the key focus on job retention and expansion in the industrial sectors of Rosslyn Auto Cluster and the Alberton-Germiston Industrial Regeneration Corridor is crucial to begin addressing the jobless growth phenomenon of our economy.
• the initiative to proactively expand the Gauteng economy from its traditional heavy industrial base (which is shedding jobs) to areas such as tourism in the West Rand (linked to the Cradle of Humankind) expected to attract 600 000 tourists and 60 000 jobs as well as the North Eastern Gauteng Initiative. The Vaal Triangle also need an injection of projects to regenerate its current depressed economy.

4. Shared Services Centre.

We also note the govt approach to remedy the public service delivery problems through the creative initiative of the Shared Services Centre.We reiterate our commitment to a strong, efficient public sector which intervenes and facilitates economic growth and redistribution of wealth. This is informed by the reality of 48% of black women in South Africa who earn less than R1500 per month. We therefore wish to see the Services Centre being driven by an ethos of service to the govt and not narrow profit margins.

We call on the Gauteng Govt to strengthen its commitment to addressing the injustices of the past genuine empowerment programmes targeting unemployed workers, youth and women. In these programmes co-operatives should form an important part.

5. HIV/AIDS.

We welcome the govt's continued commitment to addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Whilst the whole world is still awaiting a break through in finding a vaccine, aids awareness and behavioural change are currently the only means of reducing the rate of infection.

Jointly issued by:

Trevor Fowler  Bob Mabaso
Provincial Secretary          
Bob Mabaso
Provincial Chairperson
(for and on behalf of the Provincial Executive Committee)

For more information contact Pule at 082 928-9560 or Hope at 457 1111 code 7416.