Outcomes of Regular Western Cape Cabinet Meeting

On Wednesday, 27 November 2024, Premier Alan Winde chaired a regular meeting of the Western Cape Government (WCG) Cabinet.

Western Cape Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement and Municipal Economic Review and Outlook

Premier Winde and Cabinet noted the 2024 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement and Municipal Economic Review and Outlook, which was tabled by provincial Minister of Finance, Deidré  Baartman, on 26 November 2024.

“The Western Cape is navigating a challenging fiscal climate characterised by budget cuts and significant fiscal pressures. Since 2021 (the last 4 annual budgets), the Western Cape’s equitable share (PES) has been reduced by R8.4 billion. The PES formula must be reassessed, not just for this province, but for all provinces. But our province in particular is not receiving its fair share of the national budget. At the same time, the province’s population continues to grow, in turn increasing service delivery demands at a time when our budgets are under incredible strain,” said Premier Winde, adding, “but I commend Minister Baartman and Provincial Treasury for the hard work they have put into ensuring fiscal discipline and stability. We still face immense challenges and must continue to carefully navigate our way through them. This will include pushing ahead with our efforts to ensure our province and its residents receive their fair share of the national budget. With 75% of additional provincial funding going towards protecting frontline services, we are showing that even in difficult economic times, we still prioritise the needs of our residents and departments that deliver critical services.”

Quarterly Labour Force Survey

Cabinet welcomed the reduction in the Western Cape’s unemployment rate for Quarter 3 of the 2024/25 financial year. For the first time in a decade, it has dropped to under 20%. The Premier noted, “At 19.6%, the Western Cape still has the lowest unemployment rate in the country. But we must not rest. Too many residents are still unemployed, especially our young residents. This remains a serious concern, particularly for future economic growth. We are addressing this issue, though, through our Growth For Jobs strategy and numerous skills development initiatives.”

Quarterly crime statistics

Cabinet cautiously welcomed the reduction in murders in the province, as revealed by the quarterly crime statistics released this week.

The Western Cape recorded an 8.7% decrease in murder in Quarter 2 of the 2024/25 financial year. The province saw the 4^th largest reduction in murder nationally.

Declaration of provincial disaster in relation to Riverlands flooding incident

Cabinet noted and endorsed the classification of the declaration of a provincial disaster concerning the flooding that devastated parts of the Riverlands area, in Malmesbury in August 2024, in terms of section 23 of the Disaster Management Act.

This will allow the Western Cape Department of Local Government, through the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC), to submit a funding application to the National Disaster Management Centre. The PDMC is in the process of finalising this application.

Premier Winde called for accountability, “Those responsible for this disaster must be held to account, steps must be taken to avoid a repeat of this incident. We have taken all the necessary steps to respond to the impact of this disaster and will monitor the process going forward.”

Cabinet also called for an assessment of all illegal dams in the province to ensure they comply with regulations.

Business 20

Cabinet welcomed the announcement that the province and Cape Town will host the Business 20 (B20) in February 2025. The B20 is the official G20 dialogue forum, which will include around 1 000 business representatives from G20 member states as well as other countries and organisations from across the world.

Premier Winde enthused, “The Western Cape will have a vital platform in the B20 from where we can showcase our vibrant and diverse investment ecosystem and push hard in our mission to see that more jobs are created in the Western Cape.”