What happens next for a contested Budget?
The process of passing South Africa’s Budget has never had a year like this one. The first attempt at a Budget, scheduled for 19 February, didn’t even make it to the National Assembly, after it collapsed in last-minute talks within the Government of National Unity (GNU) Cabinet following opposition to its proposed two percentage point VAT increase.
Source: GCIS.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s second attempt at tabling a Budget, on 12 March, seemed destined to go ahead more smoothly — before DA leader and GNU minister John Steenhuisen tweeted, moments before the start of the speech: “Good afternoon, South Africa. The DA will not support the budget in its current form”.
That’s potentially a headache for the ANC, since the Budget has to be passed by majority vote and the DA is the ANC’s biggest GNU partner.
Read the full article on Daily Maverick here.