The Congress of South African Trade Unions in Gauteng welcomes the 2022 Provincial MTBPS delivered by MEC, Mamabolo. We appreciate the efforts by the MEC considering that the National government is hobbling provinces with its austerity budget.

We note the upward adjustment on key areas like education, health, community safety, human settlement, agriculture, and infrastructure development. We want a people centred approach to resource allocation to address social areas that affect the working class broadly.

Crime is a big problem for communities across Gauteng and the provincial administration must continue to give all law enforcement agencies total and unwavering support.

We steadfastly welcome and support the commitment to establish a provincial State-owned Bank and State-owned Pharmaceutical Company. This is a policy that the federation at all levels has been passionately campaigning for.

We believe that this is the only way to liberate South Africans from the ravages of monopolies in the financial and pharmaceutical sectors. We appreciate that the Neoliberal dogmatists running the National Treasury and the Reserve Bank will wage a war against this sensible idea, but we will seek an audience with the Gauteng Provincial Government to discuss the wayforward.

COVID-19 has taught all of us that we need to build an economic infrastructure that will cushion the economy and citizens to the vagaries of the market.

The injection of R60 million for economic development is a drop in the ocean considering the dire economic challenges facing the working class.  This adjustment falls short of the commitment made by the Premier to change the living conditions in townships, informal settlements, and hostels.

The Federation also notes the proposal on funding e-tolls through a hybrid model. We will however not accept any proposal that may suggest that road users should continue funding this project. We will also seek audience with the Gauteng Provincial Government on the modalities of the proposal.

For comment and clarity contact:

Provincial Secretary – Louisa Modikwe: 066 182 2402

Provincial Chairperson – Amos Monyela: 079 493 5002