Godongwana promises fiscal prudence in his new budget but the growth forecast may change
The Democratic Alliance launched the application against the finance minister, the South African Revenue Service, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.
Meetings are due in coming days and weeks to undo the damage after the finance minister caved on the tax increase
The finance ministry in a midnight announcement said the decision was informed by consultations with political parties
Counsel for the EFF told the high court that ActionSA was swindled in an unconstitutional manner to support a VAT hike.
Amending his proposal at this stage would force more borrowing, the minister warned in papers filed in response to the DA
The spokesman said new special envoy to Washington Mcebisi Jonas’s censure of the US president was not an impediment to mending fences
The Economic Freedom Fighters say the ANC only holds discussions with them during times of political crisis
The parties remain divided over an increase in VAT, which the DA says South Africans cannot afford
The stand-off between the two parties dates back to 19 February when DA leader John Steenhuisen made clear the party would not support a national budget that proposed a two percentage point increase in VAT
The Trump factor, plus the ANC and the DA playing to the brink, has cost the country R1 trillion
Tension between the DA and ANC persists but ActionSA may keep them together
South Africans have, in recent years, looked beyond the ANC in hope of finding new voices capable of holding the line on spending and corruption. Instead, what they have received is a bewildering capitulation and weak opposition
The Democratic Alliance’s federal executive has held an urgent meeting to decide how to respond to an invitation to talks by the ANC’s national working committee
Secretary general Fikile Mbalula challenged the Democratic Alliance to either support the government of national unity or make its exit official, as tension rises over the budget
The ANC has bought itself time to decide whether to expel its constantly restive coalition partner
The Inkatha Freedom Party president said the VAT debate should not be weaponised to derail the coalition government’s primary mandate of ensuring economic stability and service delivery
Both parties are mindful of the magnitude of a split as South Africa faces more economic turmoil
This is a moment that calls for strong leaders and a united nation. Right now, we don’t have either
In its court papers filed on Thursday, the party said the fiscal framework that will lead to the tax increase was pushed through unprocedurally
The Democratic Alliance now plans to challenge the fiscal framework in court, further raising the tension around its future in the ruling coalition
But the presidency said on Wednesday the crunch vote on the fiscal framework was a test of the party’s commitment to the GNU
The agreement came thanks to a lifeline ActionSA threw the ANC
The ANC has so far rejected conditions on which the DA would agree to support Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s 0.5 percentage point VAT increase for the coming fiscal year
The ANC secretary general also said there was no truth to rumours that it and the DA had reached an agreement
The ANC’s coalition partners demand changes, citing the financial burden on residents
The ANC secretary general said the ANC would not water it down to ‘Kiss the Boer’, nor would it prescribe to other parties what they must sing
The president’s choice in selecting a new ambassador amid a historic downturn in diplomatic relations also speaks to an existential dilemma for his party
Divisions in the party have emerged over VAT hikes, coalition negotiations, and fiscal policy strategies
The presidency said the SA-US relationship was in flux and Ramaphosa would not rush to name a new ambassador
The South African Communist Party is among 192 political parties that had not met the deadline to register with the Electoral Commission of South Africa
A hostile response signals the start of the treasury’s struggle to avoid amendments to the 2025 budget