Gauteng tables R179 billion budget, R1.4bn of which has been allocated to legislature and political parties

Gauteng Finance MECLegogang Mailehas allocated R1.4 billion for the 2026/2027 financial year to the Gauteng provincial legislature, increasing to R3.3bn over the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF), with part of the funding going to political parties represented in the legislature. The office ofPanyaza Lesufi, the premier of Gauteng, has been given R1.6bn in 2026/2027, which is R4.7bn over the MTEF, to drive implementation of the province’s 2024 to 2029 medium-term development plan. Maile tabled a R179bn provincial budget, representing a R3.6bn increase from last year’s allocation.

Speaking during his budget speech on Tuesday, Maile said “spend better” was not a slogan but an instruction. He said that to strengthen democracy and reinforce accountability, the Gauteng provincial legislature would receive R1.4bn in 2026/2027, rising to R3.3bn over the MTEF, to support lawmaking, oversight and public participation — a move that appeared to be welcomed by every political party represented in the legislature. Maile said the allocation included funding for political parties and constituency support, as well as resources for voter education, ICT requirements, committee work, the filling of critical vacancies and capital assets, among them projects financed through retained income.

The allocation supported the work of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency and Gauteng Enterprise Propeller, with a strong focus on special economic zone development, township automotive hubs, the revitalisation of industrial parks, the Vaal Special Economic Zone, bulk infrastructure for phase two of the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone and trade facilitation under the African Continental Free Trade Area, he said. The Gauteng department of health had been allocated R70.3bn in 2026/2027, increasing to R218.6bn over the MTEF, to strengthen the public health system, expand access and improve the quality of care. Maile said the funding would support maternal and child health programmes, the Ideal Clinic and Ideal Hospital initiatives, improved emergency medical response times, the integration of mental health services at community level, digital health systems and electronic records, as well as stronger interventions against HIV and TB.

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The Gauteng department of education has been allocated R70.9bn in the 2026/2027 financial year, increasing to R221.8bn over the MTEF, to improve learning outcomes from early childhood development through to matric, while strengthening safe and inclusive schooling. “This allocation supports the early childhood development strategy, learner performance programmes such as the secondary school improvement programme, school safety initiatives, pro-poor interventions including nutrition and scholar transport, schools of specialisation and inclusive education through special schools,” he said.

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