Load shedding is likely to have an impact on growth outlook: Godongwana

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana says load shedding is likely to have an impact on South Africa’s growth outlook. The Minister says the growth of 0.9 % that was projected during the tabling of the national budget in February, might be revised.

Godongwana was debating the Appropriation Bill, which he says is pro-poor while some of the opposition objected claiming that government is misusing the limited resources it has.

The Bill was approved by the National Assembly and will be sent to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence. The DA, EFF, FF Plus, ACDP and UDM objected to the Bill.

“Load shedding is likely to have an impact maybe substantial, we are going to watch the developments over the next few months and revise our numbers, if necessary, accordingly,” says Godongwana.

“Government has failed at every requirement; our roads, railways and ports are neglected, our children cannot read for meaning, billions already spent on healthcare has delivered broken hospitals, SAPS is starved with money as crime steadily increases,” says DA MP Dion George.

“We have rejected the Bill in total because it continues to be based on a principle of budget cuts, austerity with reducing budget deficit when there are no practical and believable measures to use fiscal policy to support economic growth and deliver services to our people at a time when our country is facing a crisis of load shedding,” says EFF MP Natasha Ntlangwini.

“You’re voting against rural bridges, to help the children who against all odds cross rivers in search of education,” retaliated Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Appropriations, Sfiso Buthelezi.