National Assembly approves R2.3tn budget bill
South Africa’s national budget for the 2025/2026 financial year is one step closer to becoming law.
The National Assembly on Wednesday approved the 2025 Appropriation Bill, which allocates R2.3 trillion in government spending across the different departments, provinces, and municipalities.
The vote saw 262 MPs in favour and 90 against, with no abstentions.
Parties in support of the bill include the ANC, DA, IFP, Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, ACDP, UDM, Rise Mzansi, Build One South Africa (BOSA), Al-Jama-ah, the PAC, and the Good Party.
The MK Party, EFF, ATM, National Coloured Congress (NCC), and United Africans Transformation (UAT) voted against the bill.
Opposition Criticisms
MK Party MP Wesley Douglas slammed the bill
as “fiscally flawed and morally bankrupt,” citing low economic growth and high youth unemployment.
“This bill is a financial illusion. It involves the slashing of hospitals, the closing of schools, and a debt service of R1 billion per day,” said Douglas.
EFF MP Omphile Maotwe raised objections to each appropriation, saying it fails to address staffing shortages in public hospitals and schools.
“There is no amendment to hire the 9,000 unemployed doctors or to increase education funding to eliminate teacher vacancies and pit toilets,” Maotwe said.
She also criticised underfunding of the South African National Defence Force, calling the military “on the verge of collapse.”
ATM MP Vuyo Zungula said the bill fails to shift the structure of South Africa’s economy, and includes fuel and electricity price hikes without clear poverty alleviation measures.
Budget breakdown and priorities
House Chairperson for Committees, Oversight and ICT Cedric Frolick defended the bill, saying it aims to reduce government debt, support the vulnerable, and improve public services.
Of the total R2.3 trillion budget:
R1.2 trillion is allocated to national departments, including health, education, and police.
R1.1 trillion will fund social grants, provincial and municipal transfers, and debt repayments.
72.2% of the allocations go toward transfers and subsidies.
An additional R180 billion has been set aside over the next three years for infrastructure upgrades, public servants’ salaries, COVID-19 relief extensions, and hiring unemployed professionals.
Frolick added that the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) and Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC) raised critical points during the committee’s review of the bill.
The PBO called for stronger alignment between spending and outcomes such as poverty reduction and economic growth, while the FFC cautioned against underfunding key sectors like trade, science, and small business.
The Appropriations Bill will now be sent to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence. If passed, it will go to the president to be signed into law, which will then allow departments to begin spending their different budgets.
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