Gauteng Premier David Makhura will deliver his State of the Province Address on Monday under the theme “Following up on our commitment to the people of Gauteng”.
The Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), Ntombi Mekgwe will preside over the official opening of the legislature, where Makhura will deliver the address, taking place at the Brixton Multipurpose Centre in Johannesburg.
The 2022 Premier’s address marks the mid-year review of the sixth administration and is expected to highlight achievements made over the past years and also present a programme of action for the remainder of the current administration.
Also happening on the day, suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s trial on charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering will continue in Bloemfontein.
Magashule is expected to try to get six declaratory orders against the state, and force the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to reveal its witness list.
Magashule’s charges relate to the irregular payments made to private companies for an asbestos roof audit contract in 2014 when he was premier of the Free State.
The allegations triggered his removal from office in the governing ANC last May.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is scheduled to deliver his inaugural national Budget speech on Wednesday.
Last month, Godongwana invited South Africans to share their suggestions on the Budget. He asked them for tips on what they thought the government should be spending on, how to address a large budget deficit, new sources of tax revenues, and other Budget-relevant information.
Godongwana was appointed finance minister in August 2021, relieving his predecessor, Tito Mboweni, who requested to step down and has since retired.
The finance ministry in its statement highlighted that the budget allocation aims to “strike a balance” between competing national spending priorities.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala will deliver his State of the Province Address (Sopa) at the sitting of the sixth provincial legislature on Thursday at the Royal show grounds in Pietermaritzburg.
Zikalala is expected to highlight the progress achieved and unveil the vision to grow KwaZulu-Natal following the worst effects of Covid-19, July Civil unrest and outline plans to stimulate job creation as well as radical economic transformation.
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za
Political Bureau