Gordhan should put money towards 5 priorities

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Pretoria - With hours to go before Pravin Gordhan delivers his maiden Budget Speech, South Africans have urged the Finance Minister to put more money towards achieving the five priorities identified by government.

The five priorities include health, education, rural development, creation of decent jobs and crime to improve the living conditions for all.

"More money should be put towards skills development so that more people will be able to find secure jobs and support their families instead of relying on government grants," said Alpheus Mchunu, a resident of Atteridgeville.

Janet Smith from Pretoria said she felt that health and education should be given more priority in today's budget.

"Our health and education systems are currently in crisis due to lack of resources and infrastructure. Employees are not fully dedicated to their work because of a lack of decent salaries."

She added that more money should be channelled to education to improve the matric pass rate.

For unemployed Thuthukani Bhengu, who lives in one of the hostels in Pretoria, rural development should be a priority for Gordhan. He explained that while people living in rural areas have more land, they are not able to farm it due to lack of financial support.

Security guard, Thabang Mohloakane said he hoped more money would be put towards safety and security, especially with the 2010 FIFA World Cup around the corner.

"Police will dedicate their time to ensuring that everything goes well, the least the government can do is to acknowledge them with proper salaries. It's not only about the World Cup, they must also ensure our safety."

Gordhan will deliver his Budget Speech at 2pm in Parliament. It is a roadmap indicating what aspects of life in South Africa the government has prioritised in terms of financial resources.