A long night of horse-trading ahead as Budget approval deadline looms

The Money Show's Stephen Grootes is joined by Tshidi Madia, assoicate politics editor at Eyewitness News.

As the national budget vote approval looms, another night of horse trading among political parties likely lies ahead.

By Tuesday afternoon, without the Democratic Alliance and African National Congress finding common ground, the ANC actually supported an amendment proposal from Herman Mashaba's ActionSA to remove the 1 percentage point VAT hike over two years and also give taxpayers relief from bracket creep.

This move, says EWN's Tshidi Madia, is largely seen for what it is - simply a standby plan.

"No one is convinced by that. Even ActionSA will tell you they plan to use that as insurance in case things don't go well with the DA, hence they've gone silent... when things went awry with the DA there was a flurry of communication between ActionSA and the ANC."

Tshidi Madia, Associate Editor: Politics - Eyewitness News

What does seem certain, remarks Madia, is it is going to be a long night of engagements. 

Talks are continuing between the DA and ANC, and perhaps also to some degree between Mashaba's party and the ANC, she says.

"I know the DA has a meeting to chart a way forward tonight... As we keep saying, it's down to the wire, and until Wednesday we'll see this back and forth unfolding. I think John Steenhuisen and President Cryil Ramaphosa will be exchanging WhatsApps throughout the night."

Tshidi Madia, Associate Editor: Politics - Eyewitness News

"I think what's important to the ANC is to safeguard particular policy positions - your NHI , expropriation, Bela... The DA might be willing to walk back on the first two - expropriation is already being ventilated in the space of the courts and when it comes to concessions on the NHI, the private sector still needs to be engaged on this."

Tshidi Madia, Associate Editor: Politics - Eyewitness News

To hear more from Madia, listen to the interview audio at the top of the article