EFF demands Godongwana’s resignation

The Economic Freedom Fighters have called for the immediate resignation of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana over the Value Added Tax debacle.  

The EFF said although they welcome the decision by treasury to withdraw the planned 0.5% VAY hike, the budget tabled last month failed to respond to the crisis of unemployment and poor economic growth that now threatens a national economic collapse. 

Godongwana confirmed in a statement on Thursday morning that the VAT rate will remain at 15%, shelving the proposed 0.5 percentage point hike that was announced during his Budget Speech last month.

“South Africans need jobs and economic growth urgently and the state is the only institution with the capacity to respond yet, the National Treasury remains obsessed with an unscientific fiscal anchor strategy that will only plunge South Africa into a deeper crisis,” said EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo.

The party further called on the Speaker of the National Assembly to release all correspondence from Godongwana and demands that she convenes a meeting of all leaders of political parties in Parliament. 

Parties in the Government of National Unity and other small parties in parliament had meetings to discuss alternatives to the proposed 0.5% VAT hike.

READ MORE: Parties slam DA for claiming victory over VAT reversal

Thambo said the entire budget is a reflection on the finance minister and his director general, that they are out of depth and pose a threat to the economic stability of the country 

He said that Godongwana is a threat to the livelihoods of South Africans.

ALSO READ: