Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has tabled the Special Appropriation Bill in Parliament to address a critical shortfall in South Africa’s health budget following the withdrawal of donor funding from the United States.
The bill provides for an additional R754 million allocation to the Department of Health for the 2025/26 financial year. The funds will be used to close the gap left by the end of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which was pulled earlier this year.
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Godongwana: R754 Million to Support Health Programmes and Research
According to the bill, the additional funds will go towards several programmes, including strategies aimed at reducing mortality linked to communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Part of the funding is expected to support the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), strengthening health research efforts across the country.
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Before its withdrawal, PEPFAR had been central to South Africa’s HIV response, supporting 27 of the country’s 52 HIV/AIDS districts across eight provinces. Its exit raised concerns about research continuity and left a funding void that Treasury was asked to fill.
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The Special Appropriation Bill confirms that R754 million will be drawn from the National Revenue Fund. It further notes that the legislation must be processed under section 75 of the Constitution, which governs money bills and requires adoption by both houses of Parliament.
The bill also states that advice from state law advisers and the National Treasury indicates no need to refer it to the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, as it does not contain provisions affecting traditional communities.
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