The African National Congress (ANC) says it wants clarity on how Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will fund the priorities outlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his recent State of the Nation Address when he tables the national budget in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.
Godongwana is expected to present the proposed budget to Members of Parliament at the Good Hope Chamber Dome, a dome structure currently being used as a temporary chamber while rebuilding continues at the Parliament of South Africa precinct.
Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance, Joe Maswanganyi, said lawmakers are hoping to see continued infrastructure investment to stimulate growth, alongside increased support for education particularly early childhood development and expanded skills training programmes.
He added that additional funding should be directed toward strengthening public healthcare facilities and bolstering the security cluster, including reforms affecting the police and military.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) expects a less dramatic budget process than last year, when disagreements among Government of National Unity partners delayed the budget’s adoption until a third tabling.
DA MP Mark Burke said the party wants tax brackets and rebates adjusted in line with inflation to ease pressure on households, while calling for government debt to stabilise and decline. He also cautioned against further bailouts for struggling state-owned enterprises and urged tighter controls on debt guarantees.
The Patriotic Alliance (PA) struck a more optimistic tone, saying it believes the economy has begun to recover. MP Ashley Sauls said the party wants to hear how gains such as a stronger rand and lower inflation will translate into tangible benefits for ordinary citizens.
Sauls said the focus should include job creation, tax incentives for labour-intensive industries and expanded youth employment subsidies to tackle persistently high youth unemployment.
With competing priorities on the table, Wednesday’s speech is expected to test the balancing act between fiscal discipline and the growing list of demands never an easy exercise when the numbers must add up as neatly as the politics rarely do.