Enoch Godongwana To Lobby ANC Officials To Approve Budget Proposals

• Finance Minister and African National Congress member Enoch Godongwana will stand before officials from his party to convince them to okay his budget
• The first Government of National Unity budget speech was postponed to 12 March after GNU members disagreed over the budget
• An insider claimed that the Economic Freedom Fighters could be convinced to support the budget

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

JOHANNESBURG — African National Congress (ANC) member and finance minister Enoch Godongwana is expected to lobby senior party members on 10 March 2025 to approve his latest budget proposal. This was after Speaker of Parliament Thoko Didiza announced the postponement of the speech to 12 March.

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What will happen at Luthuli House?

TimesLIVE reported that Godongwana is expected at the ANC's headquarters, Luthulu House, to present proposed changes to the budget speech. Godongwana is reportedly refusing to budge on a tax increase. He pointed out that the tax increase is necessary to keep the Social Relief Distress grant alive.

Godongwana could plead with the party's senior members to approve his new budget two days before the speech. The ANC held a recent National Workers Committee meeting in the Free State on the weekend of 8 and 9 March. Another insider said that an agreement could be reached before the Wednesday deadline. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) could be convinced to support the proposed changes to the budget.

The Government of National Unity rejected the 2% Value-Added-Tax (VAT) proposal Godongwana was expected to make during the budget speech, which was scheduled for 12 February. The Democratic Alliance presented alternatives to the proposed VAT increase. Briefly News spoke to an economist who said a VAT increase could adversely affect the poor.

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What you need to know about the budget speech

• The EFF slammed the Government of National Unity and said it collapsed after the budget speech was postponed
• Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the ANC, not the Democratic Alliance, initially rejected the 2% VAT hike
• Political analyst Moeletsi Mbeki slammed the proposed VAT hike and said the ANC was no longer pro-poor
• Cabinet rejected Godongwana's revised speech, and the Democratic Alliance emphasized the need for a 0% VAT increase

SA calls for SRD to be scrapped

Netizens commenting on TimesLIVE's Facebook page called for the SRD grant to be scrapped. Some weighed in on the impact if it is removed.

Katleho James said:

"Scrap the SRD and deputy minosters' posts. The economy grows and debt is serviced."

Jerry Gantweni said:

"Scrap the SRD and pay the price."

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Sahika Enver said:

"No SRD, no ANC."

Batteur Carey said:

"These clowns cannot accept that they are not the government anymore."

Themba Dennis Timba said:

"I hope it includes the basic income grant."

Godongwana wanted to slash the SRD

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Godongwana said that the option to scrap the SRD grant altogether was on the table. He remarked that it would have prevented a tax increase.

Godongwana said that he was concerned in the past that the government would not afford the SRD grant, which wasintended to be a temporary solution.

Source: Briefly News