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KZN says it cut projected over-expenditure by R7.2 billion

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The KwaZulu-Natal government says its projected year-end over-expenditure fell from R9.725 billion in June 2024 to about R2.5 billion by the end of September 2026. Finance MEC Francois Rodgers says the recovery is not yet complete.

The province credits tighter spending controls, better cash management and a Provincial Financial Recovery Plan. It puts the improvement at 74%. The main provincial budget in June 2024 was R150.488 billion.

Rodgers said the recovery process needs sustained discipline, consistency and institutional reform. He said: "Our task is not simply to spend less, but to spend better." The province says it still faces spending pressures in health, public works and education.

The province also cites gains in service delivery. The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure reported that it completed 70 of 100 planned capital projects. KwaZulu-Natal had a 90.6% pass rate in the 2025 National Senior Certificate, the first in the country.

In health, the province says it added 44 ambulances and appointed more than 240 nurses and 238 doctors. It says more than 1.1 million active patients collect chronic medication closer to home. It also says it traced over 210 000 defaulted patients and returned them to care.

Key facts

Who
Francois Rodgers (KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC); KwaZulu-Natal provincial government (reporting the over-expenditure reduction); Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (reported completion of 70 of 100 planned capital projects); National Treasury (cited for historical reductions in provincial fiscal allocation)
What
The KZN provincial government reports that its projected year-end over-expenditure fell from R9.725 billion in June 2024 to about R2.5 billion by the end of September 2026, which it attributes to tighter spending controls, improved cash management and a Provincial Financial Recovery Plan. The province also cites improvements in health, education and infrastructure delivery.
When
29 October 2026
Where
KwaZulu-Natal
Status
Reported

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