Teachers and doctors get a lifeline in budget allocation

The government is trying to contain civil service salary spending but, at the same time, allocating extra funds to retain teachers and doctors.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said R19.1 billion extra would be allocated to keep 11 000 teachers in their jobs. In addition, R28.9 billion is being added to the health budget, to keep about 9 300 health care workers in hospitals and clinics.

“It will also be used to employ 800 post-community service doctors and to ensure that our pharmacies do not run out of medicine,” Godongwana said.

R19.1 billion for teachers and R28.9 billion for healthcare

However, the overall government salary bill continues to climb, following a three-year wage agreement with the civil service.

“Although the agreement exceeds the 2024 budget and MTBPS projections, its duration reduces uncertainty in budget planning”’ Godongwana added.

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The wage agreement will cost an additional R7.3 billion in 2025-26, R7.8 billion in 2026-27 and R8.2 billion in 2027-28.

Also, he said: “An amount of R11 billion is provisionally allocated over the next two fiscal years for the early retirement initiative, whose intention is to attract younger employees into the public service.

R11bn for early retirement initiative

“Preliminary savings are expected to average R7.1 billion per year over the medium-to-long term.”

He said these interventions were “aimed at ensuring that when key front-line staff are lost through natural attrition and retirement, sectors are able to fill vacant posts to keep services running effectively.”