‘Money for GBV fight not enough’
President concedes more budget is needed
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted the R1.1 billion that has been allocated to fight gender-based violence is insufficient.
Ramaphosa announced the allocation of funds last month when Parliament held a joint sitting to debate the matter.
But opposition MPs yesterday questioned whether the money would be enough to tackle the problem as it has reached crisis levels.
Ramaphosa said he agreed more money should be given to the fight against the killing of women and children in the country.
“Clearly, the R1.1bn is not adequate. We conceded then, we are conceding it. What this does is to look at the budgetary process with different eyes,” he said.
The president further highlighted that various departments would shift funds from other projects to tackle the plight faced by women and children.
Several women over the past few months have been killed by men and they include UCT and UWC students Uyinene Mrwetyana and Jesse Hess as well as female boxing champion Leighandre Jegels.
Their murders led to calls for more government action and extra funding.
Ramaphosa told the National Council of Provinces during his oral reply session that the money would be put to better use.
The president also used the platform to address issues around Eskom. He denied suggestions that a decision had been taken that Eskom will be privatised, explaining rather that the company will be split into three entities – for generation, distribution and transmission.
He said the white paper on Eskom would detail how the company will be funded and restructured.
The government has previously signalled that Eskom was the biggest single risk to the economy.
It is carrying a debt of R450 billion and Ramaphosa said the government would not allow it to fail.
He said they will not sell the new power stations, but those that are old will be decommissioned.
This was also confirmed by Eskom chairperson Jabu Mabuza in Parliament this week that some stations were more than 37 years old and have reached the end of their lifespan.
Kusile and Medupi will be brought online in the next few years. But the costs of these power stations have more than doubled since the construction began more than 10 years ago.
Medupi and Kusile will now cost more than R165bn each from their original cost of less than R70bn a decade ago.