NUPSAW receives with mixed feelings the 2026/27 Budget by Finance Minister
The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) has received with mixed feelings the 2026/27 Budget and Medium-Term Expenditure Framework tabled by Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana in parliament today. While the government paints a picture of “restored credibility” and “renewed resilience,” NUPSAW views the underlying figures as a stark admission of a deep-seated economic crisis and a persistent failure to create sustainable employment.
In his speech the Minister proudly announced that the social grants accounts for more than 60 per cent (60%) of non-interest spending, supporting 26.5 million social beneficiaries. This is not a cause for celebration but an indication of a deep crisis and a total failure by the current administration to create jobs. The fact that the majority of the people in our country rely on social grants is an indication of a failing government to create jobs.
We are deeply sceptical of the R5.8 billion allocated to Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) rolling stock fleet renewal programme. Considering the large amounts spent on this institution in previous years with little to no improvement in service delivery or infrastructure safety, we hope that this allocation will assist in a meaningful rollout. The government continues to throw money at PRASA while commuters suffer through a collapsed rail system.
We further note the R26 billion allocated to provinces to bolster HIV/AIDS programmes, including the prevention of mother-to-child transmission and the provision of anti-retrovirals. However, we demand that this funding be strictly monitored and scrutinized. It is imperative that these funds are not swallowed by administrative waste but are used to ensure that all categories of Community Health Care Workers (CHWs) are permanently employed and integrated into the formal health system. These workers are the backbone of our healthcare system, yet they remain on the periphery of secure employment.
NUPSAW welcomes the allocation of R21.3 billion for compensation and employment of doctors, although we believe this is merely a drop in the ocean. The Department of Health is currently crippled by staff shortages across all levels. We call for the immediate filling of all vacant posts in the Department of Health, including nurses, administrative staff, and general workers.
The Minister boasts that the public-sector spending on infrastructure will exceed by R1 trillion over the medium term, we remain unconvinced that this will translate into safe working environment. The Public Protector’s report has already exposed that thirty-eight (38) of the courts inspected by the Public Protector are not maintained in an operational manner that supports efficient service delivery as required by law. Courts in Ga-Rankuwa, Bloemfontein, Nelspruit, Piet Retief, Kabokweni, and East London are in dilapidated state. It is concerning that recently renovated courts such as Palm Ridge and Umbumbulu have structural defects, posing risks to the lives of the workers.
This Budget fails to provide a credible plan for job creation, instead choosing to manage poverty through grants. NUPSAW will continue to fight for the rights of public servants and the delivery of quality services to the poor. We demand a budget that prioritizes the worker, the healthcare professional, and the unemployed, rather than one that merely seeks to appease credit rating agencies.
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For media enquiries, contact NUPSAW MLO Neo Lebethe on 069 742 4004