The information that the budget cuts included how the budgets for some programmes have been allocated was made known by the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu. 

The budget of the Free State Department of Social Development decreased by more than R77 million, whereas in the North West the budget reduction that was implemented in the current financial year was more than R300 million. The Northern Cape budget of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) allocation was cut by more than R9 million in the previous year to a little over R5 million this year.

Zulu was replying to a set of written questions by DA members in the National Assembly, Gizella Opperman, who questioned the budget cuts the national department has made in each province and how much each programme received. 

When coming to the Free State Department of Social Development, from the final allocation for the 2020/21 financial year to the main allocation for 2021/22,  the departmental budget decreased by R77,196 million. Zulu’s reply does not give an indication about the current financial year’s budget being decreased and by how much. However, the cut that the department previously experienced (in the financial year 2021/22) was explained to mainly be for the compensation of employees as a result of the freezing of annual salary adjustments over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

From the main allocation to the final allocation (during the Adjustment Budget) the Free State department received:

- R37,339 million as a roll-over of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) conditional grant

- R31,692 million for gratuities paid to officials on levels 1 – 12

- R12 million for the appointment of social workers

- R4,2 million towards the ENGO payment

The reply further states that in the North West Province, the budget reduction implemented in the 2021/22 financial year was R228,4 million, and in 2022/2023 it was R311,5 million. A further transfer for the ECD function was made to the Department of Education, amounting to R192 million. The budget reduction for all programmes has amounted to R1 654 392. 

When it comes to the Northern Cape, it was not indicated for which year the departmental budget cut of the EPWP was. 

Although Opperman’s question wanted to find out the budget cuts with regard to the Northern Cape, Zulu’s reply only included the EPWP’s budget being cut in this province.

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