As we edge closer to the Budget Speech 2025, many citizens are expecting that Minister Enoch Godongwana’s speech to be focused on economic growth, debt containment and hopefully avoid substantial taxes increases. We take a moment unpack the effect that austerity measures has had on public

spending. While government released a circular on austerity measures back in August 2023, the budget cuts in some departments has taken effect over the past decade.

We have received calls from our listeners where they have experienced challenges in basic education, health and other departments where service delivery has been adversely affected due to these cost-saving interventions. This could be in the loss of public servants in those departments to provide services; non-delivery of scholar transport, classroom supplies or nutrition programming for schools; and even critical medication - for example. In this hour, our next guests will help us unpack how these deficits impact our communities and how do we ensure fiscal accountability when it comes to the services that matter the most.

Guest: Michael Sachs - Adjunct Professor of Public Economy at the University of Witwatersrand (Former Head of the Budget Office in the National Treasury)

Guest: Itumeleng Motlhabane - Acting Deputy Secretary General for Equal Education

Guest: Dr Sethembiso Promise Mthembu - Lead Policy Policy and Advocacy, Her Rights Initiative, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Gender Studies, UNISA