MK Party to reject Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals when put to vote

CAPE TOWN - The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party said it will reject the Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals when it is put to the vote in the National Assembly on Wednesday afternoon.

This will be the second time a fiscal framework to underpin the 2025 budget is put to the vote, after Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana tabled a new budget in the house three weeks ago.

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MK Party’s finance spokesperson and Member of Parliament (MP), Des van Rooyen, said public input into the budget process is being ignored, and the fuel levy that came into effect last week will harm the poor.

The MK Party has condemned the repeated attempts by the Finance Minister to table a budget, saying it's a betrayal of public trust and it contributes to socioeconomic instability.

On Tuesday, a motion from the party to censure Godongwana for gross mismanagement failed, but Van Rooyen said it’s not the end of the road.

“There are various processes that we will take advantage of to hold the minister accountable. Our comrades both in the Standing Committee on Appropriations and the Standing Committee on Finance will be using those platforms to hold the minister and the National Treasury accountable.”

Van Rooyen said replacing a value-added tax (VAT) increase with a fuel levy increase shows a lack of empathy for the poor.

“This among other things exposes the GNU’s [Government of National Unity] inability to respond to South Africa’s humanitarian crisis of unemployment, poverty and inequality.”

Van Rooyen said Godongwana’s growth projections are also overly optimistic.