Steenhuisen: DA 'very supportive' of some of the measures announced in MTBPS

Unlike the contestation which characterised the main budget earlier this year, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is backing the lower inflation target, the debt ceiling and the early rewards from spending reviews announced in Wednesday’s medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS).

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwa’s statement received broad support from Government of National Unity (GNU) partners, a move which the DA’s John Steenhuisen has described as a sign that the coalition is maturing.

FULL SPEECH | 2025 Medium-term budget policy statement

He’s weighed in on some of Wednesday’s announcements.

"I think some of the measures announced today are going to show the green shoots of growth, and start to drive down the cost of living that affects so many South Africans, and which is pillar two of our Statement of Intent, and so I am pretty positive about the future and that’s why we’re very supportive of this."

Steenhuisen said that valuable lessons had been learned from the false starts at tabling a national budget that met consensus in February, March and again in May. 

"I think there’s been a settling down in the last three months. The leaders’ summit was very productive and very useful and I think we all realise we are in this together and we have to make this work for the people of South Africa."

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