1. Hon. MEC, your report and active participation at portfolio committee meetings is appreciated. Equally, I thank the hardworking Hon. Health Chairperson. Health is people’s only wealth, should be the Batho Pele motto.
2. Three main concerns remain:
   • The implementation of the NHI
   • The rationalisation of facilities and human resources
   • The functionality of governance structures
3. Hon. Members, the MF has always argued that our hospitals must be managed by CEO’s who have a health undergraduate and an MBA because their salaries dictate such performance and each position must be reviewed.
4. This will close the gap between politician’s rhetoric, public expectations and the day to day dilemma’s facing managers wanting to improve the quality of public services.
5. As a country we are targeting health goals in the NDP and SDG 2030, including the ALL 2063. The missed 2015 MDG looks likely to be repeated in 2030 for MMR and IMR.
6. Awareness programmes are essential but accreditation and regulations of maternal obstetrics units must be done. Teenage pregnancy can be effectively reduced by regular visits of the school health teams.
7. Health cannot be politicised as it is meant to ……, hence Hon. MEC, the July unrest was the result of a failed insurrection and the people of Phoenix must not be made scape-goats in this health debate. The insurrection had led to vandalization of hospitals and clinics all around which has hurt the departments budget, but underspending last year is equally bad.
8. In terms of COVID-19, Resilience Ranking South Africa ranks 49th out 53 countries which indicates that the WHO ranks SA as a tier 2 country i.e.: the figures quoted are extrapolated and our figures are not taken as credible.
9. What are we doing to challenge this? The only was is to show confidence in our data capturing which means investment in ICT. This Hon. House must be given an executive statement in this regard because KZN has been a role-model for telemedicine and showing ICT capability.
10. Hon. MEC, apart from Syphilis and its ramification, there’s growing Lupus and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, sometimes misdiagnosed as stress or other mental health conditions which have budgeting implications.
11. It is imperative that this budget must expand on NGO sector collaborations. There are organisations such, as the Rural Health Advocacy Project and HEALA which focused on the health promotion levy which is envisaged to reach R2.8 billion by 2024/25 and needs restructuring to reduce malnutrition and fight obesity as diabetes rates in under 1 and 5 years has increased.
12. Apart from LGBTQIA clinics, enforce customized medical aids for this community, Hon. MEC.
13. The Minority Front supports this R49, 609 billion budget with these recommendations. Thank you.

Hon. S. Thakur- Rajbansi