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The Citizen
6 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
National Assembly approves Appropriation Bill
The Appropriation Bill goes through three main stages in the National Assembly. President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers the State of the Nation Address (Sona) at Cape Town City Hall on 6 February 2025. Picture: Gallo Images/Jeffrey Abrahams The National Assembly has accepted the Appropriation Bill on the first reading, moving a step closer toward concluding a tumultuous budget process – although it is not yet fully resolved. MPs convened at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Wednesday to debate and vote on the Appropriation Bill. This bill, which allocates funding to national government departments and outlines how it will be divided among institutions for the financial year, is the final major legislative step before the R1.2 trillion national budget can be finalised. Stages of Appropriation Bill in the National Assembly The Appropriation Bill goes through three main stages in the National Assembly. In the first reading, MPs debate whether they agree with the overall principles of the bill. If the National Assembly rejects it at this point, the bill is dismissed entirely and does not advance. ALSO READ: Ramaphosa defends budget as critical to government oversight The second stage involves voting on the budgets allocated to each government department and its respective entities. Lastly, if all departmental votes are approved, Parliament then considers the full schedule, which outlines the complete breakdown of funding allocations. Once this schedule is adopted, the bill moves to the second reading – the final vote needed for the National Assembly to formally pass it. Debate on Appropriation Bill Before the first reading debate could begin on Wednesday, the National Assembly adopted the Standing Committee on Appropriations' report on the bill. Kicking off the debate, Mmusi Maimane, chairperson of the Standing Committee on Appropriations, called on the executive and the government of national unity (GNU) to establish clear priorities and reach consensus on the spending plan early. The Build One South Africa (Bosa) leader emphasised that doing so would help avoid the disruptions seen in this year's budget process and ensure a smoother cycle going forward. 'We need to be clear about when we do spending reviews. In this medium term, we must be far more efficient in how we deal with the money that has been allocated to us,' Maimane said. READ MORE: Treasury allocates R750m to offset Pepfar funding withdrawal as Motsoaledi tables health budget Closing the debate, Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo stressed to MPs that passing the bill would authorise government to use the allocated funds to provide public services. 'This R1.2 trillion is not just a number; it represents school meals, hospital beds, social grants and infrastructure projects that will directly impact the lives of many South Africans,' he said. He warned that failure to pass the bill could prevent government from accessing funds by October, thereby stalling new projects and service delivery. After the debate, a manual voting process was held on the first reading. A total of 262 MPs supported the Appropriations Bill, while 90 opposed it. No abstentions were recorded. Watch the plenary session below: Departmental budget votes MPs are also voting on Wednesday on the budgets for each department. At least 201 MPs must be present, with a majority vote for approval. All 42 departmental votes must be approved for the Appropriation Bill to pass. The process remains on shaky ground, especially with the DA previously pledging not to support the Department of Human Settlements' allocation, due to Minister Thembi Simelane's alleged involvement in the VBS scandal. READ MORE: 'Police are the chief criminal syndicate': Saps R120bn budget criticised by MPs The party has called for her dismissal by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Whether the DA, which holds 87 seats, will maintain that stance on Simelane is unclear. The party's support for the overall bill on Wednesday followed the recent dismissal of former Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane. The departmental votes continue at the CTICC. What happens if Appropriation Bill is not passed? If the National Assembly fails to pass the Appropriation Bill, it must be returned to the Standing Committee on Appropriations for reconsideration. This would have significant consequences. Under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), departments are only allowed to spend up to 45% of the previous year's allocation during the first four months of the new financial year – ending in July. READ MORE: Parliament allocates R71m for medical aid for former MPs After that, they may spend only 10% per month. However, without a new budget, no new programmes or adjustments to existing allocations can proceed, potentially delaying funding for public services. Next steps if passed If passed by the National Assembly, the Appropriation Bill proceeds to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) for concurrence. The NCOP must adopt the bill by 31 July in accordance with the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act, which requires Parliament to pass, amend, or reject the legislation within four months of the start of the financial year. Once approved by the NCOP, the budget process is formally concluded, and the implementation of the national budget can begin. Post-approval oversight Once the bill is fully enacted, government departments will begin receiving funds and executing spending plans. Parliamentary oversight will continue during implementation. The Auditor-General will audit expenditure and report findings to Parliament. Parliament is empowered to take corrective action should mismanagement or underspending be detected. NOW READ: DFFE to stretch R9bn budget amid fiscal constraints, minister warns
The Star
18-06-2025
- The Star
Shamila Batohi's track record as NPA boss
Manyane Manyane | Published 6 days ago Shamila Batohi's appointment as the National Director of Public Prosecutions raised hopes for a turnaround at the NPA. Despite disappointing results in prosecuting state capture cases, the NPA boasts a remarkable 90% conviction rate in complex commercial crimes in 2024. This achievement, which also included 333 convictions in complex tax case matters, highlights the NPA's strides in prosecuting financial crimes. The NPA's Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, in collaboration with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, achieved these convictions. The prosecuting body's annual report for 2023/24, also showed that over 900,000 criminal matters were finalised across the country. The report also stated that the NPA achieved a remarkable 93.4% conviction rate in prosecuting organised crime cases, although a lot needs to be done to ensure that kingpins are also held accountable. These cases include the arrest and sentencing of six people who were involved in the murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran. This was after Deokaran reported irregularities in the spending of the Gauteng Department of Health. Two accused were sentenced to 22 years and three were imprisoned for 15 years. Vincent Mkhefa, the chief financial officer and acting municipal manager at Nketoana Municipality in the Free State, was sentenced to eight years after he appointed service providers to supply 4,000 single-phase pre-payment electrical meters and 1,000 ready boards for R2,124 million. At the time he supposedly took the delivery, the items had not even been manufactured and he created the false impression that they were delivered and received. The unit also had a freezing order of R1.4 billion against Eskom senior executive France Hlakudi who was facing charges of fraud, corruption, and money laundering against him and 10 others. The NPA also celebrated the Supreme Court of Appeal's decision to dismiss the deportation appeal of Dr Nandipha Magudumana from Tanzania on May 16. This decision ended a long legal battle over the lawfulness of her return to South Africa in April 2023 and clears the way for her trial, set for 21 July 2025, alongside her alleged partner, Thabo Bester. The NPA also made significant progress in recovering money in economic crime cases, with nearly R2 billion recovered in 129 cases. Of this, R750m has been paid into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA). [email protected]
IOL News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Shamila Batohi's track record as NPA boss
NPA boss Shamila Batohi with President Cyril Ramaphosa. The NPA has celebrated victories in some high-profile cases under Batohi. Image: Jacques Naude/African News Agency/ANA Shamila Batohi's appointment as the National Director of Public Prosecutions raised hopes for a turnaround at the NPA. Despite disappointing results in prosecuting state capture cases, the NPA boasts a remarkable 90% conviction rate in complex commercial crimes in 2024. This achievement, which also included 333 convictions in complex tax case matters, highlights the NPA's strides in prosecuting financial crimes. The NPA's Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, in collaboration with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, achieved these convictions. The prosecuting body's annual report for 2023/24, also showed that over 900,000 criminal matters were finalised across the country. The report also stated that the NPA achieved a remarkable 93.4% conviction rate in prosecuting organised crime cases, although a lot needs to be done to ensure that kingpins are also held accountable. These cases include the arrest and sentencing of six people who were involved in the murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran. This was after Deokaran reported irregularities in the spending of the Gauteng Department of Health. Two accused were sentenced to 22 years and three were imprisoned for 15 years. Vincent Mkhefa, the chief financial officer and acting municipal manager at Nketoana Municipality in the Free State, was sentenced to eight years after he appointed service providers to supply 4,000 single-phase pre-payment electrical meters and 1,000 ready boards for R2,124 million. At the time he supposedly took the delivery, the items had not even been manufactured and he created the false impression that they were delivered and received. The unit also had a freezing order of R1.4 billion against Eskom senior executive France Hlakudi who was facing charges of fraud, corruption, and money laundering against him and 10 others. The NPA also celebrated the Supreme Court of Appeal's decision to dismiss the deportation appeal of Dr Nandipha Magudumana from Tanzania on May 16. This decision ended a long legal battle over the lawfulness of her return to South Africa in April 2023 and clears the way for her trial, set for 21 July 2025, alongside her alleged partner, Thabo Bester. The NPA also made significant progress in recovering money in economic crime cases, with nearly R2 billion recovered in 129 cases. Of this, R750m has been paid into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA). [email protected]
