THE PHOENIX
BUDGET
Blues
IN ORDER TO RISE FROM ITS OWN ASHES, A PHOENIX MUST FIRST BURN.
After the second tabling of SA’ s 2025 budget on 12 March, a Daily Maverick op-ed lamented the absence of a‘ clear and achievable plan for job creation’. The article listed how Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana came under fire from Members of Parliament( MPs) when he presented his revised Budget 2025 to Parliament’ s finance portfolio committees
“ Deep and hard introspection is needed. We are bleeding jobs; we are not creating jobs … I don’ t see anything in this proposed Budget that’ s going to be the vehicle to triple economic growth,” said DA MP Joseph Britz.“ This proposed Budget does not lead to economic growth and creation of jobs. In its current form, this proposed Budget is a domestic risk to the future economic outlook. You cannot tax yourself into prosperity,” he continued.
The DM article continued: Speaking to MPs before the presentation, Godongwana said that“ irrespective” of where political parties stand on a number of issues – in an indirect reference to the impasse on the VAT hike –“ we [ must ] keep our eyes on the ball”. He said the Budget must address the needs in communities, specifically the needs in the health, defence and education sectors. Godongwana spoke about the hundreds of doctors left jobless in SA because of a shortage of funds.“ We may disagree, colleagues, about methodologies and other things, but I don’ t think we’ ll disagree on the substantive nature of what we’ re attempting to resolve.”
The opposition parties were having none of it.“ The attempt to make us take responsibility for National Treasury’ s incompetency and poor planning is incorrect, and the attempt to blackmail us into a corner that we all have to take these trade-offs in order for people to receive services – whether its health or education – they’ re trade-offs that are consequences of poor fiscal planning,” said EFF MP Sinawo Tambo. Alan Beesley from Action- SA welcomed the much-needed boost in funding to the South African Revenue Service( SARS), but said,“ It’ s patently clear there’ s just too much wastage, corruption and incompetence in the system – in government departments and entities. It’ s like a bucket – it’ s pointless filling the bucket up with water if it’ s got a massive hole in it, because it’ s just going to keep running out. And that’ s what’ s happening at the moment. I think we wouldn’ t have to have tax increases if we could cut the leakage,” he said. Beesley added that the party would like to see money ring fenced to combat corruption.
DA MP Kingsley Wakelin said“ a number of very strong and very valid submissions were made by the DA” to Godongwana, but none of them received his support.“ Is it just being defiant?” Wakelin asked Godongwana. EFF MP Constance Mkhonto said there is no“ clear and achievable plan for job creation” in the Budget.“ We can’ t increase VAT to the unemployed masses of this country … When is the issue of unemployed youth going to be addressed?” Echoing her statements, EFF MP Annacleta Siwisa said:“ At this moment, we should be speaking about job creation.” But there’ s nothing in the Budget which speaks to mass job creation, she said.
From the Phoenix’ s point of view, a revolution in thinking is required, and a revolution in economic philosophy. What is urgently required, is that we need to take everything( and I mean everything) off the floor, and start again, from scratch. Burn, baby, burn. www. abrbuzz. co. za 01 MARCH 2025