Maimane hopes GNU tension between ANC and DA can dissipate to finalise budget

JOHANNESBURG – The chairperson of parliament’s appropriations committee, Mmusi Maimane, hopes tensions between the two biggest parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) can set their differences aside to finalise the budget process.

Members of Parliament (MPs) in the National Assembly will vote on the Appropriation Bill on Wednesday, which apportions money to departments.

The fiscal framework and division of revenue bills were passed last month.

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Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa appeared to have bowed to political pressure to fire Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane in time to find support with the DA to vote in favour of the Appropriation Bill.

The political infighting between the African National Congress (ANC) and the DA has again drawn sharp criticism from other policymakers, accusing the parties of putting politics over bread-and-butter issues.

Maimane hopes logic will prevail when the Appropriation Bill is put to a vote.

“I’m really appealing that the sense of national duty, at a moment such as this one, requires all of us in an imperfect budget – no one is saying it’s a perfect budget – but in an imperfect context we need to be able to get this budget through so we do the hard yard for the changes we need next year.”