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Cholera Outbreak: Public Urged to Take Precautions

South African government destroyed R192 billion in a year Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt says the South African government is a massive destroyer of capital. He made the statement during a presentation about the 2025 Budget delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday, 12 March. “The South African government destroys approximately R200 billion annually by borrowing long-term and spending it on short-term items,” he said. He explained that funding short-term expenditures through long-term borrowing is the same as destroying capital. Ideally, the state should fund short-term expenses through short-term borrowing or available liquid assets. When the state uses long-term borrowing to cover short-term costs, it creates a mismatch in the time horizon of the liabilities. Over time, it leads to financial strain as the debt accumulates interest and becomes more challenging to service. This is exactly what happened in South Africa. Godongwana said in his 2025 budget speech that government debt is expected to reach 76.2% of South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) in this financial year. Over the last financial year, debt-service costs amounted to R389.6 billion. This translates to 22 cents of every rand the country raises in revenue. “It is more than what we spend on health, the police and basic education,” Godongwana told parliament. “We must reverse this trend and prevent the cost of debt from draining resources that could otherwise be spent on our pressing social needs or on investing in growth,” he said. However, South Africa is not off to a good start. Debt-servicing costs will increase to R424.9 billion in the next financial year. This 9% increase in South Africa’s interest payments is one of the fastest-growing items in the 2025 Budget. Roodt highlighted that the government also has implicit and explicit debt obligations linked to state-owned enterprises. “There are implicit and explicit that finance minister Enoch Godongwana must include in his outstanding debt estimates. He does not do that,” Roodt said. South Africa has R770 billion in guarantees to state-owned enterprises, which are not included in the debt levels Godongwana shared. Godongwana admitted that taking on additional debt to meet the spending pressures was also not feasible. “The amount is simply too large. The cost of borrowing would be unaffordable,” the minister said in his budget speech. “Our sub-investment credit rating would also make this level of borrowing costlier and put us at risk of even further downgrades.” The government has been exploring strong fiscal policy anchors to help prevent a recurrence of the cycle of high spending, high deficits and high debt. “At present, a primary budget surplus sufficient to stabilise debt has been adopted as the anchor,” he said. “However, the obligation to keep public debt stable is not explicit in South Africa’s legal and regulatory framework.” In this regard, the government is releasing, along with the budget, a discussion document presenting options for such an anchor. The Finance Minister expects the consolidated budget deficit to narrow from 5% of GDP in 2024/25 to 3.5% of GDP in 2027/28. The chart below shows the government deficit, which has been a regular feature over the last fifteen years.

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Cholera Outbreak: Public Urged to Take Precautions

Published

2 years ago

on

July 14, 2023

By

Tia Sauls

cholera

The City of Ekurhuleni remains on high alert, ready to respond to any potential cholera cases. Although no reported cases have occurred in the city since February this year, residents are strongly advised to handle water and other consumables with utmost vigilance.

The National Department of Health has issued an urgent appeal as the cholera death toll continues to rise, claiming the lives of at least 47 people nationwide. In light of this and in response to growing calls for intervention from unions and civil society, Zweli Dlamini, the city’s spokesperson, reassured the public, saying, “The City of Ekurhuleni’s outbreak response teams are on high alert to promptly address any instances of cholera.”

Also Read: Ekurhuleni Urges Vigilance Against Cholera

Dlamini further added, “We have implemented plans to enhance health education and promotion efforts, empowering communities and schools in anticipation of the upcoming re-opening of public schools for the third term.”

To prevent possible infection, the public is strongly urged to avoid consuming known or suspected contaminated food, water, and surfaces. Thoroughly washing hands with soap before handling food or after using the bathroom is crucial.

Additionally, it is essential to only drink water from safe sources, such as rivers, dams, and streams, if it has been boiled or properly disinfected. Residents are reminded to disinfect and clean surfaces diligently, as cholera bacteria can spread through contaminated water.

Also Read: Water supply returns to some areas of Johannesburg after shutdown

To assist the public in taking preventive measures, here are some key tips:

Treat or sterilise water before drinking or cooking.
Boil water for at least one minute before consumption.
Add one teaspoon of household bleach to 25 litres of water.
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Wash hands before and after preparing food and after using the toilet.
Utilise safely managed sanitation facilities to dispose of waste properly.
Do not dispose of plastic bags in chemical toilets.
Always boil, cook, and peel food before eating.
Regularly disinfect and clean work surfaces.
Ensure that areas for food preparation and kitchen counters are cleaned with soap and treated water.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Zweli Dlamini at 082 573 6464 or zweli.dlamini@ekurhuleni.gov.za for further information.

Source: CoE gives locals cholera safety tips

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South African government destroyed R192 billion in a year Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt says the South African government is a massive destroyer of capital. He made the statement during a presentation about the 2025 Budget delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday, 12 March. “The South African government destroys approximately R200 billion annually by borrowing long-term and spending it on short-term items,” he said. He explained that funding short-term expenditures through long-term borrowing is the same as destroying capital. Ideally, the state should fund short-term expenses through short-term borrowing or available liquid assets. When the state uses long-term borrowing to cover short-term costs, it creates a mismatch in the time horizon of the liabilities. Over time, it leads to financial strain as the debt accumulates interest and becomes more challenging to service. This is exactly what happened in South Africa. Godongwana said in his 2025 budget speech that government debt is expected to reach 76.2% of South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) in this financial year. Over the last financial year, debt-service costs amounted to R389.6 billion. This translates to 22 cents of every rand the country raises in revenue. “It is more than what we spend on health, the police and basic education,” Godongwana told parliament. “We must reverse this trend and prevent the cost of debt from draining resources that could otherwise be spent on our pressing social needs or on investing in growth,” he said. However, South Africa is not off to a good start. Debt-servicing costs will increase to R424.9 billion in the next financial year. This 9% increase in South Africa’s interest payments is one of the fastest-growing items in the 2025 Budget. Roodt highlighted that the government also has implicit and explicit debt obligations linked to state-owned enterprises. “There are implicit and explicit that finance minister Enoch Godongwana must include in his outstanding debt estimates. He does not do that,” Roodt said. South Africa has R770 billion in guarantees to state-owned enterprises, which are not included in the debt levels Godongwana shared. Godongwana admitted that taking on additional debt to meet the spending pressures was also not feasible. “The amount is simply too large. The cost of borrowing would be unaffordable,” the minister said in his budget speech. “Our sub-investment credit rating would also make this level of borrowing costlier and put us at risk of even further downgrades.” The government has been exploring strong fiscal policy anchors to help prevent a recurrence of the cycle of high spending, high deficits and high debt. “At present, a primary budget surplus sufficient to stabilise debt has been adopted as the anchor,” he said. “However, the obligation to keep public debt stable is not explicit in South Africa’s legal and regulatory framework.” In this regard, the government is releasing, along with the budget, a discussion document presenting options for such an anchor. The Finance Minister expects the consolidated budget deficit to narrow from 5% of GDP in 2024/25 to 3.5% of GDP in 2027/28. The chart below shows the government deficit, which has been a regular feature over the last fifteen years.