Gauteng economic development MEC Lebohang Maile tabled his R179.2bn medium-term budget, which he said would prioritise frontline services, although it was “strained”.
Here are five key things to take away from the budget:
- Over the 2026 medium-term expenditure framework, the province’s budget will amount to well over half a trillion rand, about R549.3bn. An amount of R179.2bn has been allocated for the 2026/27 financial year, and R182.4bn and R188.2bn respectively for 2027/28 and 2028/29.
- Health, education and social development, which are collectively known as the social sector, received about 83% of the budget. The health department gets R70.3bn, education R70.9bn and social development R5.6bn.
- Despite the scrapping of the E-toll system in 2024, Gauteng is still paying off the debt linked to the freeway upgrade project. The province has already paid R9.3bn of the R20bn e-toll debt, with another R4.6bn due in June 2026 and R6.2bn still to be paid over the next two years, heaping pressure on the budget.
- Maile said the Gautrain would continue operating without interruption as negotiations to appoint a new concessionaire near completion, with the current operator’s tenure temporarily extended while the train becomes a fully paid provincial asset worth about R45bn.
- Maile said the audit outcomes for the cities of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni could be released by Sunday, depending on the outcome of ongoing discussions. This follows a dispute at national level involving the auditor-general over the audit reports, which delayed the municipalities from submitting their financial statements to the JSE before the February 28 deadline.
Sowetan
Koena Mashale
www.sowetanlive.co.za
