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Eyewitness News
02-07-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Final leg of national budget process in peril amid DA's plans to boycott budgets of compromised ministers
Lindsay Dentlinger 2 July 2025 | 13:24 Picture: @ParliamentofRSA/X CAPE TOWN - The final leg of the national budget process could hit another snag amid the Democratic Alliance (DA)'s plans to boycott the budgets of at least two departments presided over by compromised ministers. A parliamentary legal opinion suggests that the Appropriation Bill can only be passed if all departmental votes have been agreed to. If the DA follows through with this threat, it means the African National Congress (ANC) might again have to shop around for votes to ensure the bill crosses the line when it's put to the vote in three weeks' time. Over the weekend, DA leader John Steenhuisen said that while his party would reject some departmental votes, it would not vote against the Appropriation Bill as a whole. ALSO READ: • MKP, EFF reject transport dept's budget, say it lacks vision for transforming public transport • Majority of political parties in NCOP reject higher education dept's budget, call for Nkabane's axing Steenhuisen said the protest action was in response to the ANC not acting against those fingered in corruption, while firing a DA deputy minister for unsanctioned travel. But a legal opinion to Parliament's Standing Committee on Appropriations advises that all of the 42 separate votes have to be passed first, before the schedule to the bill can be put to the vote. This means if the Government of National Unity (GNU) is not united on even one of the departmental votes, the bill can not be put to the House for approval. "The Public Finance Management Act requires that Parliament first approves the votes in Schedule 1 to the Appropriation Bill and then consider Schedule 1 for approval. The National Assembly rule 328, gives effect to this provision by requiring the same procedure," reads the legal opinion. The DA's latest pushback against the ANC could once again put the ANC in a budget predicament. In March, it had to rely on parties outside of the coalition to shore up the votes needed to pass the fiscal framework, which underpinned a previous version of the budget, which was also rejected by the DA and Freedom Front Plus. Now it may have to do so again to ensure the budgets of all departments, including those run by ministers who don't meet the DA's approval, are passed. The Appropriation Bill must be passed within four months of the start of a financial year, which is the end of July, else departments' spending will be severely curtailed to only 10 percent monthly of the previous year's budget.
The Citizen
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Ghost workers thrive while youth struggle for jobs, parliament warns
While unemployed graduates queue for opportunities, fake employees are drawing state salaries unchecked, and sometimes protected. Chairperson of the portfolio committee on public service and administration, Jan de Villiers. Picture: /@ParliamentofRSA While thousands of unemployed graduates struggle to enter the public service, parliament has warned that systemic corruption is enabling ghost workers to drain public funds, taking jobs and resources meant for real people. The chairperson of the portfolio committee on public service and administration, Jan de Villiers, said this during the governance oversight committee's briefing on Monday. This follows a committee meeting on 28 May to address payroll fraud and youth employment in government. 'Every ghost worker represents a post that could have been filled by a qualified graduate, a dedicated nurse, a teacher in a rural school, or a social worker supporting the vulnerable,' said De Villiers. Ghost workers are not errors De Villiers confirmed that ghost workers are not a matter of administrative oversight, but the result of 'deliberate and orchestrated systemic corruption,' requiring collusion between at least three internal officials. The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) acknowledged to Parliament that ghost employees exist across all three tiers of national, provincial, and local government, as well as in state-owned entities. In one case, the auditor-general uncovered R6.4 million in fraudulent salary payments at the Mpumalanga Department of Education. In May 2025, 230 unverifiable employees had their salaries frozen by the Gauteng Department of Health. 'Real people are drawing fraudulent salaries, and real taxpayer money is being siphoned into private pockets under the guise of legitimate employment,' De Villiers said. ALSO READ: State capture allegations come back to haunt RAF acting CIO Young professionals sidelined The committee also flagged serious concerns about youth employment in the public service, especially during Youth Month. According to the DPSA, youth aged 31 to 35 make up 27% of the workforce, more than 347 000 individuals, with most in finance, admin and technical roles. Yet many face poor mentorship, lack of formal skills recognition, and limited opportunities for absorption into permanent posts. 'Placements without professional development or recognition are insufficient. 'We must build a future-ready public service,' said De Villiers. The committee is pushing for early retirement schemes to create space for young professionals, but insists that only transparent, merit-based recruitment will restore trust. 'It is a national imperative to prepare the state for the future,' De Villiers concluded. NOW READ: SA's shrinking mining sector and the policies that brought us here
