Many hard-pressed South Africans say they want government to prioritise job creation in its emergency budget.
Finance minister Tito Mboweni will on Wednesday afternoon deliver the country’s first evet post- Apartheid emergency budget. The budget is expected to adjust its spending and expenses as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
The country is also witnessing its highest unemployment rate in decades and many South Africans have lost their jobs. Many people want the minister to explain how this crisis will be sorted out.
“They must relieve tax, people are paying a lot of taxes, and sometimes it’s not fair and he must also find a way to get young people jobs to cause they don’t have jobs,” says a citizen.
“What I would like to hear is how are we going to go towards this situation that we are going in currently because yesterday the unemployment number raised to the highest number since I can remember. Yes we can never say its fine for government to open doors for us to go and die but we also need to eat,” says another citizen.
“I wish he can address people without jobs what going to happen to people without money,” adds another citizen.
Citizens should brace themselves
Economist Owen Nkomo says South African citizens should brace themselves for tough economic realities when the supplementary budget speech is delivered.
Nkomo says Mboweni has very few options to try and resuscitate the economy.
The supplementary budget aims to outline additional plans by government as part of dealing with the global coronavirus pandemic.
In the video below, SABC News’ Nompumelelo Siziba explains why this budget speech is important:
