1. MEC and your team, the MF thanks you for your budget speech and the difference this ministry is making. HON. Chair, HON. MEC, with this in mind and in keeping with the 2017 World TB Commoration theme to “Unite to end TB” with South Africa ranking 6^th amongst 22 countries with the highest TB burden.
2. Members, more disturbing is that TB notification rates of more than 700 new cases per 100 000 population in Ilembe, Ugu and Ethekweni. Therefore, by deduction whereby the WHO defines 200 new cases per 100 000 population as an epidemic then HON. MEC, we have a TB epidemic in these areas, which further impacts on the health budget.
3. The cabinet approved the TB crises plan and amongst targeted settings, informal settlements are key, as well as, hostels, as per the HON. MEC Dhlomo’s health budget speech.
4. HON. MEC, both the homeless and the overcrowded are the most vulnerable due to poor living conditions, weak immune systems and the fact that this airborne disease indiscriminately infects citizens; we all, HON Members are at risk.
5. I cite, Spence et al, (1993), who examined the historical link between TB and poverty, found that these remain strongly associated, using four poverty indices; with one being council housing.
6. Similarly, Oxlade and Murray (2012), analysed household and area poverty indicators and TB data from such diverse settings, in South Africa, Brazil, Vietnam and Zambia and found that the poor are at greater risk which implied targeting interventions to the most vulnerable groups.
7. Therefore, the Minority Front had designed housing needs based on constituency caseworks, by categories and medical conditions, especially involving communicable diseases such as TB which needs to be prioritised to speed progress towards elimination of this scourge.
8. HON. Members the Minority Front supports this budget of R3,8 billion, with the proviso that public housing should be given based on social, economic, environmental and biological determinants of TB. May we all remember the 3 grateful voices at the end of the budget speech.

Thank You.

Shameen Thakur- Rajbansi

Minority Front  MPL KZN Legislature