Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana defended the 2026 budget in Parliament, outlining major allocations for social development, policing and infrastructure, while insisting that criticism often stems from misunderstanding how spending is structured across government.
Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has warned political parties against “twisting facts” about government spending, saying this is particularly important ahead of the November 2026 local government elections.
Godongwana made the remarks in Parliament on Tuesday, where the Appropriation Bill was passed and referred to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
This came as MPs clashed in the National Assembly over government spending priorities during debate on the 2026 national budget.
Godongwana said government spending was being misrepresented in parts of the debate, arguing that MPs were failing to distinguish between different components of the R2.3 trillion rand budget.
“Even if we are going to an election, we must not twist facts. 26.5 million are covered by this budget and they are scattered across the length and breadth of this country,” he said.
He explained that the budget tabled on 25 February is split between spheres of government, with about R1.1 trillion rand allocated through the division of revenue and roughly R1 trillion rand directed to national departments.
“The budget we tabled on the 25th of February was R2.3 trillion. What we are debating today is a portion of that because that budget is divided as section 214 requires us, vertically between the spheres of government and horizontally,” he said.
Godongwana said confusion between these allocations had led to incorrect claims during the debate, including assertions around issues such as unemployed doctors, which he said were already catered for in existing funding frameworks.
“A problem when I listen to the speakers, they don't distinguish between these two debates,” he said.
“If they are not employed, it’s not because this budget has not made an allocation. It’s because those who are supposed to be doing so, have redirected funds. They should be made to account for that,” he said.
The minister said government spending priorities were clearly reflected in the budget, pointing to R302.4 billion rand allocated to social development, supporting 26.5 million beneficiaries nationwide.
He also highlighted R127 billion rand allocated to the South African Police Service, funding about 188,000 officers, as well as allocations for free basic services reaching 11.2 million people through local government.
Godongwana said infrastructure investment remained a key priority, with about R1 trillion allocated over the medium term and 449 billion rand set aside for the current financial year.
“We are moving in this budget towards infrastructure investment,” he said.
He acknowledged concerns about public spending efficiency, saying the challenge was not the availability of money but how effectively it was used.
“The problem is not money. The problem is the effective use of that money,” he said.
Godongwana said government was introducing “targeted responsible spending” to improve efficiency by redirecting funds from underperforming programmes.
He said South Africa’s investment levels remained too low, with gross capital formation at about 14.8% of GDP, well below the 30% target.
The minister urged MPs to focus on oversight of how departments use allocated funds, rather than only debating claims of underfunding.
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