Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) - March 5, 2004
"Despite this being an election year, this budget continues the task we set about two years ago of overcoming our past, and managing our current complexities, by galvanising our collective human agency in constructing the future. This is a hard task. Populism would have been easier. This is a long-term project. Short-term gains would have easily won the election.
"Yet, the fact that the African National Congress nationally is assured of victory and that in this province the ANC-New National Party coalition government is set to continue after April 14, has given us the confidence to proceed on the path to the future, to make the hard choices, and to continue to give shape to iKapa elihlumayo," said provincial minister of finance and ANC provincial chairperson Ebrahim Rasool on Tuesday.
The R18,3-billion budget focuses spending on redressing social inequality and human resource, skills and infrastructure development. Rasool also highlighted that: "The prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission programme is now available in all health facilities in the province. Transmission rates have been reduced from a high of 25% to 12%."
The Democratic Alliance has dismissed the budget as "neither a growth budget nor pro-poor". While the budget speech was clearly election-related, said DA provincial spokesperson Robin Carlisle, the budget itself was "simply disastrous".
There should have been a bigger fight with the Treasury to up the Western Cape's equitable share allocation from national coffers to compensate for the inflow of people from other provinces, said Carlisle.
In the 2003/04 financial year the Western Cape received R13,2-billion from the national government as its part of the provincial equitable share.
This is budgeted to rise at a rate of 8,4% a year to R16,8-billion in 2006/07. The province also receives "conditional grants" - money from the national government earmarked for specific programmes, like health, infrastructure development, HIV and Aids programmes and education. The province's own revenue - only about 6% of the provincial budget - is mainly raised from vehicle licences.
However, the province is recording an above national average population growth: 14,3% in total, but a dramatic 21% among economically active residents. This, according to budget documents, was largely because of immigration from the poorer Northern and Eastern Cape. In comparison, the national population growth stands at 10,4% and 11% among economically active people
About 500 000 people in the Western Cape are unemployed. But among youth joblessness reaches 82%.The province is generally regarded as an affluent province, but it has recorded an economic slow down since 2002. The province's gross domestic product - worth R160-billion a year - has been knocked by the effect of the strong rand, especially on tourism, which makes up 22% of the regional economy.
040305
MG040303
Copyright © 2004 - Daily Mail & Guardian. For information about the content or for permission to redistribute, publish or use for broadcast, contact the publisher.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2004. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2004. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .