Civil society groups gather outside Parliament to demand end to austerity

Numerous civil society and working-class organisations have converged outside Parliament today ahead of the 2026 Budget Speech.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is set to deliver this year’s budget at the Dome outside Parliament as South African households continue to navigate a relentlessly rising cost of living.

Just meters away from the venue, hundreds of protesters have gathered to ensure their voices are heard before the Minister takes the podium.

Close to one thousand protesters from various organisations have united under the banner "Cry of the Excluded." Their primary demand is for the government to reverse its stance on austerity measures.

The demonstration includes members from COSATU, SACP, Equal Education, Housing Assembly and Unite for Change.

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In addition to halting budget cuts, the collective is calling for job creation and significant tax relief for the working class.

Siyabulela Mama, spokesperson for Cry of the Excluded, emphasised that the current economic trajectory is unsustainable for the country's most vulnerable citizens.

"We are here today to call for a universal basic income grant that is above the poverty line," Mama said. "This budget needs to speak to that because, in South Africa, we face a crisis of unemployment."

Mama added that the collective expects Minister Godongwana to abandon austerity policies, which they argue have left the poor struggling to meet their most basic needs.