EFF Files Papers To Challenge Implementation of Budget Vote, SA Weighs In

• The Economic Freedom Fighters have also filed papers in court to challenge the legality of the budget
• Parliament voted for the budget and it was passed on 2 April 2025, despite a majority of the political parties opposing it due to the VAT hike
• The party has also filed papers with the Western Cape High Court, and in an affidavit, said they wrote to the Speaker of Parliament to object to the budget

With over seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, offered insights into South African politics, national, provincial and local governance, the Government of National Unity, political parties and Parliament.

WESTERN CAPE — The Economic Freedom fighters (EFF) have joined the Democratic alliance (DA) in fighting to stop the budget which National Assembly passed on 2 April 2025 from being implemented in May.

Did the EFF file court papers?

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According to Sunday World, the Red Berets filed papers with the Western Cape High Court. This was the same court that the DA filed papers on 3 April to prevent the budget's implementation. The Red Berets, the DA and the MK Party, the official oppostion, have denounced the budget as unlawful.

In an affidavit, Omphile Maotwe, the party's Treasurer-General who also sits on the Standing Committee on Finance, slammed the process. she said the adoption of the 2025 Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals was flawed, grossly irregular and had illegalities.

Sinawo Thambo, the party's national spokesperson, said the fiscal framework's adoption was invalid and violated the Constitution and the rules of Parliament. He called on the courts to regard this matter urgently to restore order. He accused the African National Congress of abusing the legislative process and using its numerical dominance to pass budgets unlawfully.

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What you need to know about the budget

• Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana was supposed to deliver the budget vote on 19 February, but postponed it to 12 March because Government of National Unity members rejected the proposed VAT hike
• Political analyst Moeletsi Mbeki said that the proposed 2% VAT increase was a sign that the ANC has become anti-poor
• The Cabinet rejected Godongwana's revised speech which still had a VAT increase; the DA said it would not accept a budget with a VAT increase

The finance minister delivered the budget speech on 12 March and proposed a 0.5% VAT increase

• After the budget was passed in April, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that finding an alternative to a VAT hike was difficult

South Africans talked about the EFF's case

Netizens commenting on Sunday World's Facebook post discussed the EFF's decision to take the right to the court.

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Hlapisi Isaa said:

"Although I am an ANC supporter, I support them. Let's go to court."

TG TG said":

"EFF and MKP are puppets of the right wing groups in the country."

Simon Mpse Mamahlodi said:

"While Mbalula has just said the ANC is not a socialist party."

Makhubu Nkululeko said:

"Good. I wish to see the MKP join as well because this GNU is rubbish. Only the ANC decides, and if you fight against them you're out."

GNU to hit the reset button

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the African National Congress will engage political parties in the country as it looks to reconfigure the Government of National Unity. This was after an impasse was reached regarding the budget vote.

The party's secretary general Fikile Mbalula said it was not the ANC's decision for the DA to leave the GNU. He, however, said the door is open for other parties to join the coalition government.

Source: Briefly News