The National Assembly witnessed a dramatic showdown on Wednesday as the ANC successfully adopted the Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals for the 2025/26 financial year.
In a closely contested vote, the ANC secured a simple majority of 194 votes in favour against 182 opposed, despite lacking support from the Democratic Alliance (DA) and other opposition parties.
The marathon voting session unfolded after intense debates and a request from various political factions seeking to postpone the proceedings and refer the report back to the Standing Committee on Finance.
The call for delays was quickly dismissed by National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza, who insisted that the vote proceed as planned.
In making the announcement of the results, House Chairperson Cedric Frolick confirmed the adoption of the fiscal framework, a critical step towards determining South Africa’s financial trajectory.
“The Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals and report of the standing committee has been adopted,” Frolick said.
Before the vote, the DA and MK Party, along with Freedom Front Plus, ACDP, ATM, National Coloured Congress, and United African Transformation had indicated they were against the VAT increases.
The ANC had the backing of the IFP, Patriotic Alliance, UDM, Rise Mzansi, Build One South Africa, Al-Jama-ah, PAC, and Good Party.
The voting took place after Didiza refused requests from political parties to delay the consideration of the report of the Standing Committee on Finance that recommended the adoption of the Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals for the 2025/26 financial year.
During the sitting held on Wednesday, the DA, EFF, and MK Party were among the first parties to ask that proceedings be postponed and the report be sent back to the committee, citing irregularities.
This was after the parties wrote to Didiza after the committee on Tuesday adopted a report that proposed the adoption of the report without VAT increase and to allow the National Treasury to come up with alternative revenue proposals within 30 days.
DA chief whip George Michalakis said the report fell foul of the Money Bills Amendment Procedural and Related Matters Act.
Michalakis said the law required that the report include a clear statement accepting or amending the Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals.
“We would like to ask you to please send this report back to the committee on procedural grounds because if the House considers this report despite procedural defect, this House will be complicit in considering what we believe is an illegal report,” Michalakis said.
His sentiment was echoed by ATM leader Vuyo Zungula, saying the process followed to adopt the report was flawed.
“Our submission is that the committee be requested to properly follow correct processes of adopting that report so that when it comes to the House it has gone through proper and legal processes,” Zungula said.
EFF MP Omphile Maotwe said the legal requirement was that there must be a clear statement of whether the committee accepted or amend the fiscal framework and revenue proposals.
“We appeal to you to suspend today’s proceedings. If you continue it will be procedurally unfair and unlawful,” Maotwe said.
MK Party Chief Whip Mzwanele Manyi said the Money Amendment Bill Procedural and Related Matters Act did not provide conditional acceptance of the report.
“There is nothing in the law that allows for conditional acceptance. We call on you, Speaker, to declare this sitting and processing of this report as an unlawful process,” Manyi added.
But, Didiza said, on the basis of the report and advice she received, she was not convinced the committee contravened the law or the rules when finalising the report.
“There is no legal impediment preventing this House today to proceed with its business,” she said before stating that she had received letters from the EFF and the MK Party, and had responded on matters they had raised.
ANC Deputy Chief Whip Doris Dlakude insisted that the committee report stated that all procedures according to the law were followed.
Despite attempts by the EFF, DA, and MK Party to convince Didiza, she refused their request for postponement and referred the report back to the committee.
“I did not see a reason why this House should not sit,” she stated.
Didiza also said it was up to the House to decide whether it accepted or rejected the report as it was usually done.
Tabling the report, standing committee chairperson Joe Maswanganyi urged the MPs to vote for the report not for party politics, but for the interest of South Africa.
“Let us rise above party politics and care about the interests of South Africans,” said Maswanganyi, who is also an ANC MP.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana defended the Budget and stated that the Budget process has got to change to make sure everybody was involved in the latter part of the year.
He stated that the DA could not vote against the Budget and be part of the implementation of the government programme.
“It can’t be. We got to draw a line on that,” Godongwana said.
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za