Political Parties Split on Godongwana's Budget and Fuel Levy Cuts Ahead of November Elections

• Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered the 2026 MTBPS on 21 October, less than two weeks before South Africa's municipal elections
• The mini-budget included temporary fuel levy reductions and additional funding for policing, social workers and government operations
• Opposition parties and labour unions questioned whether the measures would make a real difference for struggling South Africans

SOUTH AFRICA — Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's 2026 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), delivered on Wednesday, 21 October, has drawn sharply divided responses from political parties, with some praising the relief offered to motorists and others dismissing it as a pre-election tactic.

The mini-budget was tabled less than two weeks before South Africans vote in the municipal elections on 4 November. Among its key provisions were temporary reductions to the fuel levy, designed to lower petrol and diesel prices until January 2027, alongside additional allocations for policing, social workers and government operations.

Opposition parties reject cuts as election ploy

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The Economic Freedom Fighters labelled the fuel levy reductions an election manoeuvre, with spokesperson Sinawo Thambo saying there was little evidence of a genuine economic stimulus in Godongwana's announcement.

MK Party MP Thulani Shongwe went further, describing the cuts as a scam and accusing the government of cynical electioneering. Shongwe said the budget failed to adequately address job creation and land reform.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions expressed disappointment, arguing that the statement missed an opportunity to confront South Africa's high unemployment rate and sluggish economic growth.

ActionSA MP Alan Beesley welcomed additional funding for the South African Revenue Service but said the fuel levy reductions should have been larger, given the burden fuel prices place on consumers.

View X video on the budget here:

ANC and GNU partners offer cautious welcome

The ANC backed the fuel levy cuts, saying they would return money to the pockets of working families and welcomed the mini-budget's focus on controlling government debt. President Cyril Ramaphosa described the statement as a stabilising development for the economy, pointing to progress on managing the budget deficit.

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Responses from other Government of National Unity partners were measured. Freedom Front Plus MP Wouter Wessels called the mini-budget positive in context but said the fuel relief arrived too late and was too modest.

Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi welcomed increased infrastructure spending but expressed disappointment that savings from curbing social grant fraud were not being redirected to address hunger. Democratic Alliance MP Kingsley Wakelin acknowledged that Treasury had laid foundations for growth, but argued that broader government reform needed to move faster.

Fikile Mbalula praises fuel levy relief

Previously, Briefly News reported that Fikile Mbalula has publicly defended the government's temporary general fuel levy relief, framing the cuts as a direct benefit to working households during the peak festive travel season. The African National Congress Secretary-General posted his remarks on X on 21 October 2026, arguing that reduced diesel costs would lower the price of moving essential goods such as bread, maize, and chicken, ultimately shielding consumers at the till.

Source: Briefly News