Premier Alan Winde’s cabinet approves funds plan for coronavirus

Published Mar 26, 2020

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Cape Town - Premier Alan Winde’s cabinet has approved a proposal by the provincial treasury to make funds available for the coronavirus response.

It would allow underspending on the compensation of employees in the departments of health, social development and local government from the 2019/20 financial year to be used.

In terms of Section 25 of the Public Finance Management Act, the budgets would be “retained and reprioritised towards addressing the crisis”.

The premier’s spokesperson, Bianca Capazorio, said: “In other departments, the underspending will be consolidated and redirected where required.

“The proposal also allows for funding kept aside in the 2020/21 financial year for unforeseen and unavoidable expenditure to be used to bolster the Western Cape government’s coronavirus response,” said Capazorio.

The cabinet also approved a plan by local government and environmental affairs MEC Anton Bredell to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the coronavirus at municipal-level, tying them in with the provincial response and work streams.

Four of the province’s six districts have confirmed Covid-19 infections, the majority in Cape Town.

Capazorio said: “Residents can be assured that district municipalities will also continue to render all essential services, including firefighting, road maintenance and environmental health services, over the lockdown period.”

The Department of Local Government has meanwhile created braille coronavirus awareness and mitigation pamphlets, which helps us to spread important messages to the sight-impaired in the province.

Premier Alan Winde will also provide an update today at 2pm on the Western Cape's work to minimise the spread of the coronavirus, ahead of the national lockdown which begins at midnight.

@MwangiGithahu

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