CAPE TOWN, April 22 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, on Tuesday passed the Division of Revenue Bill and the Special Appropriation Bill, tabled by the finance minister in February as part of the national Budget.
According to a statement issued by Parliament on Tuesday night, the Division of Revenue Bill, which outlines how funds are shared across national, provincial and local government, provides for 12.8 billion rand (about 780 million U.S. dollars) over the medium term to expand Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs.
In addition, 800 million rand in 2026/27 will be redirected to key priorities, including the National School Nutrition Program, support for learners with severe intellectual disabilities, and salary adjustments for Grade R educators. A further 175 million rand will fund the e-Cares system to improve ECD management, while 109 million rand is allocated to modernize agricultural systems.
"Following extensive engagement with the National Treasury, the Parliament Budget Office and other stakeholders, the Standing Committee on Appropriations welcomed the proposed allocations," the statement said.
However, the Committee stressed that success depends on strong governance, oversight and responsible spending.
"The Committee has recommended that the Minister of Finance ensure the National Treasury presents a clear plan to stabilize the public service wage bill so that rising personnel costs do not crowd out spending on critical services and infrastructure," Parliament said.
"It has also called for a full cost-benefit analysis on the use of implementing agents ... National Treasury is required to report back to Parliament on these matters twice a year," it added.
The Special Appropriation Bill provides an additional 13.5 billion rand for the 2025/26 financial year to address urgent spending needs, including support for key departments.
A large share will go to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa to procure locomotives, repair trains and improve commuter rail services.
The Committee also welcomed 2.081 billion rand for rebuilding Parliament and 1.116 billion rand for the Electoral Commission of South Africa to support the 2026 local government elections.
Both Bills will now be referred to the National Council of Provinces, the upper house of Parliament, for concurrence.
