NATIONAL NEWS - The DA will today, 3 April, file papers in the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town about Parliament’s passing of the 2025/26 budget.
In a statement, DA leader, John Steenhuisen, called the process of passing of the budget unlawful and unconstitutional and said it is unthinkable that Action SA handed the VAT hike to the ANC on a platter.
The EFF is also considering legal action against the budget and EFF leader, Julius Malema said that the passing of the budget against the DA's wishes goes to show that the GNU is a farce.
The filing of the court action will be led by DA Federal Council Chairperson, Helen Zille, DA Federal Council Deputy Chairperson, Ashor Sarupen MP, DA Finance Spokesperson, Dr Mark Burke MP and DA National Spokesperson, Karabo Khakhau MP.
Before filing, Zille, Sarupen, Burke and Khakhau will brief the media on the DA’s cause of action, and the foundation of the case. The briefing will happen at 11:30 at the court.
This follows after Parliament yesterday voted to adopt the 2025 Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals, following a debate in the house.
The ANC managed to get the budget passed with the help of the IFP, the PA, Action SA, Bosa and other smaller parties. The DA, EFF, MK and some small parties voted against the passing of the budget.
Parliament also debated on and adopted the report of the Standing Committee on Finance related to the national budget, on Wednesday afternoon.
Members of Parliament voted as follows:
• 182 members voted against
• 194 voted in favour
• there were no abstentions
Here is Steenhuisen's full statement:
The Democratic Alliance will file papers in the Western Cape High Court to challenge Parliament’s passing of the 2025/26 National Budget.
It is unthinkable that ActionSA has handed this VAT hike to the ANC on a platter, and it is both unlawful and unconstitutional how Parliament processed the Budget.
ActionSA and the ANC were joined in passing this VAT Budget by the IFP, PA, GOOD, RiseMzansi, UDM, PAC, Al Jama-ah and BOSA who collectively have chosen to make life more expensive for South Africans.
The DA has vehemently opposed the Finance Minister’s Budget proposal, and we have negotiated for amendments that would have ensured economic growth and job-creation, because that is what South Africa needs.
Instead of the budget being amended to address the needs of struggling South Africans, the budget has been passed by the National Assembly with VAT hikes to make life more expensive for South Africans.
Yesterday’s sitting of Parliament’s Finance Committee was not compliant with the standing rules of Parliament, in that the Fiscal Framework was not put to the Committee to approve or reject, and one proposal during the meeting of one political party was taken as adopted without the other tabled amendments being considered.
This legal shortcoming was carried forward into the National Assembly. In the National Assembly this flawed Finance Committee report was approved by several parties in the National Assembly, but not the DA.
This approval by those parties effectively means that the Budget measures announced by the Minister of Finance in his March 12th Budget Speech have now been adopted by the National Assembly.
The DA’s court challenge rests on two key grounds:
1) The DA challenges the procedure of the Finance Committee on 01 April 2025, to consider and approve the Fiscal Framework, and
2) The DA challenges the constitutionality of certain revenue collection and expenditure measures becoming binding through a speech by the Finance Minister without Parliament having to consider, oversee or approve them.
We look forward to this matter being addressed in Court, for the benefit of all South Africans who do not agree to this budget
The DA refuses to give in to the ANC’s tax increases. They remain hellbent on making people poorer.
The ANC is out of touch with the people, and if they bought their own groceries or filled their own tanks, they would know how expensive life already is.
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