The postponement of the budget has escalated into a political skirmish among parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU).
The budget, now set for March 12 was delayed after an agreement was reached that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana redraw the budget and enable consultation within the GNU.
However, allegations of political gamesmanship have surfaced, with various parties taking jabs at each other regarding the reasons behind the delayed tabling of Godongwana’s speech.
DA leader John Steenhuisen was the first to claim that his party’s staunch opposition to the ANC’s proposed VAT hike forced their hand.
“The last-minute postponement came about because of the failure by the ANC, and specifically Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s failure, to engage meaningfully with the alternative proposals tabled by the DA,” Steenhuisen said.
He also said the “historic victory” demonstrated the DA’s muscle within the GNU.
“For the first time ever, the ANC was prevented from tabling an anti-growth budget. Now is the time to replace a failed ANC VAT budget with a brand new GNU growth budget,” Steenhuisen said.
But, his comments were met with rejection from fellow coalition members.
Freedom Front Plus parliamentary leader Corne Mulder said some politicians will try to score cheap political points.
“We must understand that things could happen when more time is needed by the Minister of Finance to have discussions and for the executive to discuss these things,” Mulder said.
GOOD Party leader and Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said the truth was that all parties in the GNU agreed to the postponement, not certain parties.
“Let us not play politics… All the parties agreed, not only the DA or PA. It is the IFP, GOOD Party, PAC. We all agreed, please, don’t play politics with our people,” said De Lille.
Echoing the same sentiments, Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie remarked that the ANC was open to discussions on the initial budget proposals after Godongwana made a presentation to the DA, his party, and other GNU parties.
“The ANC was humble enough and said let’s hear you, what is it you don’t like,” McKenzie said.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni was quick to dismiss the idea that the DA dictated the postponement.
Ntshavheni said it was neither an ANC nor a DA issue or ANC versus other individual parties.
“It was a Cabinet decision,” she said, adding that all ministers had expressed shared concerns about the budget.
She was adamant that ANC ministers were the first to speak on the budget due to the nature of the sitting arrangement in the Cabinet.
“If we want to be naughty like other people are, we can mention names of saying who differed and supported; and you will be shocked, so let’s not go there. It is the Cabinet ministers who did not approve the budget as it was being tabled and said they needed more time to engage with the issues that the minister normally calls trade-offs.”
Ntshavheni also said all the ministers shared a common concern about the impact of the budget in achieving the government’s priorities and protecting the poor.
“The Treasury has the responsibility to fund the priorities and find a mechanism,” she added.
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said the budget was postponed because the DA was clear it would not support it.
“If the DA does not support, it means numbers the ANC needs for budget to be passed will not be there. One must not underplay the weight the DA carries within the GNU, that is what must be accepted,” Seepe said.
He also said the DA has been consistent that the GNU was a grand coalition between itself and the ANC.
“That is something we must not run away from. If other parties were opposed to the budget and the DA and ANC agreed, the budget would have been passed. It does not mean others did not object.”
Unisa political science’s Professor Dirk Kotze said what had played out in the public was the DA, on the morning of the budget, stating it would not support the budget and the views of the other parties were not heard.
“We did not see any of the other parties making statements before the DA did. I would take that the DA is the one that opened this up,” Kotze said.