civil societyNeeds of people not addressed

Pravin Gordhan’s Budget had failed to address the needs of South Africans, a civil rights organisation said yesterday. “The crux of the problem with the budget is… it is predicated on the idea that there should first be growth before there can be redistribution,” the Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC) said. “This budget fails. It doesn’t prioritise expenditure to the urgent needs of the vast majority of the people.” AIDC said tit “takes one step forward, only to take two steps backwards”. “The urgency of the situation required an extraordinary response, not a ‘business as usual’ response,” it added. – Sapa