Independent 2024 General Elections Candidate Leaves SA Scratching Heads: “She Had Me at Tax Break”

• An independent candidate had South Africans laughing and questioning her sanity after her interview went viral
• She proposed a tax break, which she describes as an opportunity for the South African Revenue Service to do audits and collect enough tax beforehand
• South Africans roasted her, and some jokingly supported her proposed seventh-year tax sabbatical

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, the State of the Nation Address, politician-related news and elections at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.

JOHANNESBURG – A tax break every seven years and children giving parents consent to pierce them are just some of the reforms an independent candidate proposed. She left South Africans in stitches!

Independent candidate proposes reforms

@newzroom405 posted a clip of its interview with Faith Phathela, who is running for president during the upcoming General Elections, which will be held on 29 May. Faith proposed that children should be empowered by having the power to give or rescind consent to be pierced or circumcised. She also proposed a year of jubilee or rest.

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She said the year of rest could give South Africans a break from paying taxes.

"Every seventh year, let us have a year of rest. That doesn't mean everybody will be sitting at home and not working every seventh year. We can rest from paying taxes. If we agree that on the seventh year of paying tax, we will give SARS a mandate to collect enough tax within six years to ensure that on the seventh year, SARS gives taxpayers rest from paying tax.

"In that six years, SARS will collect enough to carry us through the seventh year. During that seventh year, SARS will also have time to audit businesses and other institutions," she said.

View the interview here:

Netizens roast the independent candidate

South Africans made fun of Phathela's presidential candidacy.

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Tebogo Koma said:

"Faith Phathela is onto something here. Chakra huns could bring some spice to Parliament."

KingMaker said:

"She missed their right to decide if they want to be born."

Siphiwe Nodwele said:

"Of all the things she could talk about during her 15 seconds of fame, she chose the troubling social ill of ear-piercing?"

Floyd said:

"She should try stand-up comedy."

Wandile Cindi said:

"I wouldn't mind not paying tax for a year. Let her cook."

Political party wants KwaZulu-Natal to be free from South Africa

Similarly, Briefly News reported that the Abantu Batho Congress political party wants KwaZulu-Natal to be free from South Africa.

In an interview with Briefly News, ABC leader Philani Mavundla said that the government is failing and that provinces should be "freed" across tribal lines.

Source: Briefly News