Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
TSHOLOTSHO residents and villagers have implored the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to allocate more funds towards road construction and health delivery in the 2026 national budget.
These calls were made during a well-attended public consultation on the 2026 National Budget by the Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion that was held at the Tsholotsho Rural District Council boardroom on Tuesday.
Delegates said Tsholotsho district was now a high-risk and expensive investment area due to the poor road network.
“We have a very poor road network in our district and this has made life and doing business here very expensive so there is need to allocate a substantial amount towards rehabilitating our roads,” said a delegate, Mr Lebohang Mathema.
His sentiments on road rehabilitation were echoed by many speakers who spoke after him, resulting in one of the portfolio committee members, Mail Nkomo, who was chairing the proceedings, appealing to the delegates to bring on different proposals.
Ms Providence Moyo from Ward Seven said the budget allocation must also prioritise the health sector, arguing that the district had a serious shortage of health facilities and medication.
“Our clinics are too few and where there is one, there is a shortage of medication, which puts our lives at risk,” said Ms Moyo.
Portfolio Committee chairperson Cde Tinashe Mushipe expressed satisfaction with both the turnout and robust contributions from the public.
“There were many contributions, a wide range of contributions. Very good ideas came out, very good inputs but the most topical, I think, most people zeroed down on infrastructure development when it comes to road networks within Tsholotsho and the country at large; they also want attention to be given to our health system,” said Cde Mushipe.
He said the purpose of the public consultations was for the committee to gather as many views as possible on what the public feels should be included in the national budget as mandated by Section 141 of the Constitution.
“Section 141 states that in all the processes that we do, we must involve the people.
So, be it legislative processes or in other parliamentary processes, the people must be involved.
As we all know, the National People’s Budget is people-centred. So, therefore, we need to go back to the people to get their insights and inputs in what they think our priorities should be for the next coming budget, which is the 2026 National Budget,” said Cde Mushipe.
