EFF demands scrutiny of fuel levy hike in revised budget
The EFF has raised alarm over what the party describes as a constitutional breach in the proposed increase in the general fuel levy announced in the revised 2025 national budget.
In a letter addressed to the chairperson of Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance, the EFF called for urgent committee attention to the procedural and constitutional implications of the increase.
The party claims the levy, raised by 16 cents per litre for petrol and 15 cents for diesel, was introduced without parliamentary approval, violating section 77 of the Constitution.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said during this budget that the hikes aim to recoup R1.3 billion in revenue following the unsuccessful attempts to implement a VAT increase.
The revised budget marks the third attempt by the Treasury to pass a legally viable fiscal plan for the 2025/26 financial year.
The EFF argues that the fuel levy—framed by Treasury as a regulatory adjustment—constitutes a tax and must be passed through Parliament via a money bill.
They allege that bypassing this process undermines democratic oversight and public participation.
"This is not a routine adjustment. It is taxation without parliamentary consent, wrote EFF Treasurer General Omphile Maotwe. "It amounts to executive overreach and violates the Constitution and the Money Bills Act."
The party has already written to both the Minister of Finance and the Speaker of the National Assembly, and is now pressing for urgent committee action.
-Distributional impact-
The EFF warned that the levy would worsen the financial burden on poor and working-class South Africans, increasing fuel, transport, and food costs.
They also noted that implementing such a measure outside the proper legislative process denies the public an opportunity to engage in meaningful debate.
"The impact may seem minor in absolute figures, but its consequences are regressive and inflationary," the letter continued.
-Legal and political risk-
Citing the High Court’s earlier ruling against the VAT increase, the EFF cautioned that the fuel levy could similarly face legal challenges.
They also warned that including unlawfully imposed revenue measures in the fiscal framework could lead to political resistance and administrative instability, particularly if Parliament fails to adopt the budget by the constitutional deadline of 31 July 2025.
The letter makes three key recommendations:
1. Urgent committee engagement – including summoning the Finance Minister to explain the decision.
2. Suspension of the fuel levy – until it can be lawfully introduced through a money bill.
3. Reaffirmation of parliamentary authority – to ensure future compliance with constitutional and legislative procedures.
-A broader governance concern-
"This matter is not merely technical," said Maotwe. "It goes to the heart of constitutional democracy. Parliament cannot allow the Executive to tax the public without its consent."
The EFF has reserved its right to pursue legal or parliamentary remedies but has urged the committee to act swiftly to avoid a repeat of the constitutional crisis triggered by the VAT proposal earlier this year.
The party reiterated that it supports progressive and lawful revenue-raising measures, but warned against what it calls "taxation by covertness."
Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance is expected to deliberate on the 2025 Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals in the coming weeks.
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