DA to take 'unlawful' budget to court

The 2025 fiscal framework was passed on Wednesday afternoon with 194 votes from the ANC, IFP, Patriotic Alliance, RISE Mzansi and several smaller parties.

But the DA, which is part of the Government of National Unity, believes the process to get the budget through Parliament was unconstitutional and procedurally flawed.  

DA leader John Steenhuisen said the party will be filing papers in the Western Cape High Court.

"It is unthinkable that ActionSA has handed this VAT hike to the ANC on a platter, and it is both unlawful and unconstitutional how Parliament processed the budget.

"ActionSA and the ANC were joined in passing this VAT Budget by the IFP, PA, GOOD, RiseMzansi, UDM, PAC, Al Jama-ah and BOSA who collectively have chosen to make life more expensive for South Africans.

"The DA has vehemently opposed the finance minister’s budget proposal, and we have negotiated for amendments that would have ensured economic growth and job creation, because that is what South Africa needs.

"Instead of the budget being amended to address the needs of struggling South Africans, the budget has been passed by the National Assembly with VAT hikes to make life more expensive for South Africans," said Steenhuisen.

The DA has long opposed Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget proposal, calling instead for amendments which it believes would stimulate economic growth and job creation.  

Steenhuisen insisted that the Tuesday's sitting by Parliament’s Finance Committee was not compliant with the standing rules of Parliament.

"This legal shortcoming was carried forward into the National Assembly today.

"In the National Assembly this flawed Finance Committee report was approved by several parties in the National Assembly, but not the DA. 

"This approval by those parties effectively means that the Budget measures announced by the Minister of Finance in his March 12th Budget Speech have now been adopted by the National Assembly.

"The DA challenges the procedure of the Finance Committee on 01 April 2025, to consider and approve the Fiscal Framework, and the constitutionality of certain revenue collection and expenditure measures becoming binding through a speech by the Finance Minister without Parliament having to consider, oversee or approve them.

"We look forward to this matter being addressed in Court, for the benefit of all South Africans who do not agree to this budget.

"The DA refuses to give in to the ANC’s tax increases. They remain hellbent on making people poorer.

"The ANC is out of touch with the people, and if they bought their own groceries or filled their own tanks, they would know how expensive life already is," he said.

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