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[FILE IMAGE]: President Cyril Rmaphosa shares a light moment with DA leader and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen as well as DA MP and Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says today’s events at the National Assembly are a clear indication that the so-called Government of National Unity (GNU) is non-existent. This following the adoption of the 2025 Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposal as tabled by Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana despite the opposition from the DA, which is the ANC’s biggest GNU partner.
The adopted framework includes recommendations that Treasury must be given 30 days to come up with alternatives to tax hikes, while scrapping the VAT hike and to adjust personal income tax brackets.
A total of 194 members of parliament voted in favour while 182 voted against.
EFF leader Julius Malema, “We wanted to demonstrate what we have said since the constitution of the GNU that there’s nothing called the GNU. You have all seen it collapsing in front of the whole society today. We said this will last for a year. Today, everybody saw what we have speaking about. So, we are happy that we were able to demonstrate in action that there is nothing common about so called Government of National Unity.”
Budget Vote | I do think the days of the GNU are numbered: Dr Oscar Van Heerden:
ATM leader Vuyolwethu Zungula has described the approval by Parliament of the 2025/2026 Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposal as a shame.
Zungula’s party was among the parties that voted against the budget.
The VAT increase by zero-point five percent annual over the next two years has been the bone of contention among political parties in Parliament.
“It is a shame that the majority of the parties that have voted, voted for an increase in VAT when there are other alternatives wealth tax. Mining royalties … because the South African economy and Treasury was among those were raising VAT in 2022 by 16 times more than the amount we received from petroleum and mining royalties. We are a mineral-rich country, but we have got a government and Treasury that is lazy when it comes to thinking about means of raising income,” says Zungula.
Reaction to budget vote:
