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Deputy President Paul Mashatile speaks in the National Assembly.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has assured South Africans that the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) that will be tabled by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday will go smoothly.
Mashatile was responding to oral questions in the National Assembly.
Earlier this year, the adoption of the budget was delayed due to disagreements amongst the GNU partners over the proposed 2% Value Added Tax increase.
But Mashatile says the Medium-Term Policy Budget Statement will be presented and adopted as planned.
The country’s Deputy President is confident that the scenes that played out in parliament earlier will not repeat themselves.
The February budget that was tabled by Godongwana was only adopted in March due to disagreements over the proposed two per cent VAT Hike, causing an unprecedented delay, which resulted in ructions amongst GNU partners.
Mashatile says this time around the budget is expected to go on without glitches.
Mashatile says, “So there won’t be fights about budgets this time … the leaders have met. Honourable Speaker, the GNU remains focused on key priorities to enhance the South African economy.”
He was further quizzed on whether he would support the Economic Inclusion Bill- a Bill proposed by the Democratic Alliance to replace Black Economic Empowerment.
BBBEE is currently being reviewed as well.
“The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) is busy looking at where the gaps are, and I’m sure that you can make an input in that process because, at the end of the day, we want legislation that will ensure that we benefit the majority of South Africans. I will not support legislation that seeks to benefit a few.”
“As you are saying, we want to benefit the majority of the people and to the extent that there may be weaknesses, let’s correct that and make amendments. That’s why there’s this review. There’s no need to ditch the legislation and introduce something else. But let’s refine it and make sure that indeed it can ensure the inclusivity that all of us are looking for,” adds Mashatile.
Mashatile reiterated that the ANC still supports zero compensation on land.
This is despite the ANC having failed to muster the two-thirds majority to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation.
In 2021, the Section 25 Ad-Hoc Committee voted against the ANC’s wish to expropriate land without compensation.
He says, despite having lost in their quest to take land and give it to the landless majority, a lot has been done to give farms to people.
“Section 25, 7 of the Constitution guarantees that any person or community dispossessed of property after June 19, 1913, due to pass racially discriminatory laws or practices, is entitled to either restitution of that property or other equitable redress as provided for by an act of Parliament.”
“This provision forms a critical part of our land reform and restitution process as it addresses the injustices from the apartheid era and beyond. Furthermore, the current constitutional framework provides for expropriation of property subject to just and equitable compensation.”
Mashatile further told MPs that the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mzwanele Nyontsho, will soon convene a National Land Indaba to finalise all critical issues related to land reform in the country, further reiterating government’s commitment to strengthen, implement, and accelerate the redistribution of land.
