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ESTABLISHED 1991

WEDNESDAY 18­20 MARCH 2015

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Minister dies in car wreck THE wreckage of the VW Touareg in which Collins Chabane, Public Service and Administration minister, and two of his body­ guards, died in the early hours of Sunday morning on the N1 outside Polokwane. Premier Ace Ma­ gashule, in a message of sup­ port to the family, described Cha­ bane as a gallant leader who had always been con­ sistent in the struggle for changing the lives of the peo­ ple. Read more on p 7. Photo: Ma­

rietie Louw­Carstens

R7 m for China Week Concern about Departments of Health and Education aired

} Selloane Khalane THE Free State Government has set aside R7 million of its R29,374 billion 2015-’16 budget on hosting a China Week in April. An estimated R5 million of the R7 million will be bankrolled by the Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs, which was allocated R472,2 million by the provincial MEC for Finance, Elzabe Rockman. The budget for the various departments of the Free State government was tabled by Rockman last Wednesday (11/03) at the Mangaung City Hall in Bloemfontein. The remaining R2 million apportioned for China Week will be accounted for by

Premier Elias “Ace” Magashule’s office, which has been allocated R283,9 million for the current financial year. The Premier’s Office also apportioned R5 million for billboards. Rockman said the provincial budget increased by 4,28% from the 2014-’15 budget, which was R27,942 billion. Although the Free State has been given R29,374 billion, about R465,9 million is going to be shifted away from the province, according to Rockman. She said approximately 71% of the reduction was as a result of the shifting of Adult Basic Education and Training (Abet) programmes to the National Department of Higher Education.

Rockman said the shifting of the function of Port Health Services to the National Department of Health had also contributed to the decrease of equitable share in the province. A large chunk of the budget, worth R11,538 billion, has been allocated to the Department of Education, and this has increased from R11,259 billion in the 2014-’15 financial year, as well as the Department of Health, R8,675 billion which increased from R8,155 billion in the 2014-’15 financial year. Both the departments of Health and Education were faced with difficulties this last financial term, apparently arising from financial problems. The Department of Sport, Arts, Culture

and Recreation received R679,6 million whilst the Department of Roads, Police and Transport got R2,391 billion. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been allocated R744,5 million with R1,224 billion allocated to the Department of Co-operative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements (Department of Human Settlement and Housing). The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has received R1,492 billion. Wouter Wessels, Freedom Front Plus leader in the Free State Legislature, has criticised Rockman for spending millions on the China Week project while the Departments of Health and Education are battling with accruals.

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