ANC confident budget will pass despite opposition

ANC NEC Media Briefing at Birchwood in Boksburg

2 minutes

The ANC is confident that an agreement will be reached with other political parties to allow for the budget to be approved in Parliament.

The ANC briefed the media on day two of its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting taking place in the East Rand this weekend.

The party’s optimism appears at odds with the reception it has reportedly received from its main partner, the DA in the GNU, as well as other parties that declared not to support a 0.5 VAT increase as proposed by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.

Following an uncertain few weeks, with various political parties within the GNU unable to find each other on Gordongwana’s budget.

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri spoke on the sidelines of the NEC meeting , saying she is confident the budget will be passed.

“There are negotiations and conversations among political parties, both from the side of the ANC and from the side of the President in his capacity as the leader of the Executive. And we are confident that the budget is going to be passed.”

[WATCH LIVE] ANC NEC Media Briefing at Birchwood in Boksburg #ANCNEC #ThePeoplesMovement

— ANC – African National Congress (@MYANC) March 29, 2025

Unable to get consensus within the GNU, the ANC has reached out to other parties to gain support for the budget to be passed. ANC NEC member Parks Tau explains that while keeping the GNU intact is key, engaging other parties is well within the party’s right to do.

“We are invested in the GNU because it’s our own creation. We are the ones who have put it together. And in fact, from the onset, we did make the point that we are inviting all parties to be part of the GNU. So certainly, there are no parameters on who we can engage in relation to getting the budget over the line.”

Bhengu-Motsiri maintains that negotiations will likely continue until the last minute

“The conversation about the budget, as I said, is ongoing. But the negotiations must stick to the budget and not seek to reconstruct the policy environment in South Africa or to change the laws of the country. There are processes for that.”

Parliament will vote on the budget on Wednesday, the 2nd of April.

WATCH: ANC NEC Media Briefing | Negotiations must stick to the budget: Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri