Budget includes additional spending on SANDF to continue DRC deployment, G20 Summit security
The National Treasury included the items in its latest budget review released on Wednesday, along with the 2025 budget.
Armored vehicles belonging to the South Africa National Defence Forces (SANDF) contingent of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) drive towards deploy along the road leading to the entrance of the town of Sake, 25km north-west of Goma, on 23 January 2025. Picture: Michael Lunanga/AFP
CAPE TOWN - The revised budget by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has included additions to spending, including the South African National Defence Force's (SANDF) deployment to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The additional spending will also see R1.4 billion channelled towards the local government elections taking place next year.
The National Treasury included the items in its latest budget review released on Wednesday, along with the 2025 budget.
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As expected, Minister Enoch Godongwana and the National Treasury made a few adjustments to the original budget set to be tabled in February, besides the smaller VAT adjustment.
This includes new spending items, with South African National Defence Force getting the biggest slice of R5 billion to continue its peacekeeping mission in the eastern DRC.
The G20 summit in November also gets a piece of the action, with more funding over the next two years.
Treasury Director-General, Duncan Pieterse, told a media briefing shortly before the budget that a big chunk of the R582 million allocated to G20 would go to security.
"The top three beneficiaries of the R582 million are the police because of their role for security for events. You would have seen if you were at the CTICC two weeks ago, there’s quite a big police presence."
He said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation would also receive funds to go towards logistics and communications.