Ramaphosa to meet with DA’s Steenhuisen in bid to find solution to budget impasse

JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office has confirmed that he will meet with Democratic Alliance (DA) federal leader John Steenhuisen, but no time has been set for the engagement as yet.

The DA postponed its media briefing earlier in the hope of rescuing talks with the African National Congress (ANC) ahead of the finance committee sitting. 

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Attempts by the DA to even have the sitting postponed have proven to be futile.

Members of the finance committee are already in session, with ActionSA expected to propose an amendment to the fiscal framework to remove value-added tax (VAT) and income tax increases.

Insiders in both the ANC and DA believe it is not too late for two of the country's largest parties to find one another.

But the ANC insists that if the DA doesn’t come to the party, it will find support for its budget elsewhere. This has opened the door for ActionSA.

EWN understands that not only will the ANC back ActionSA’s proposed amendments to the budget, but they have also reached an agreement on a reconfigured Government of National Unity (GNU).

The DA, which was set to announce its victory to the media on Tuesday morning, walked back, as it is still awaiting a written agreement on the way forward from the ANC.

Party leaders have told EWN that ANC negotiators made a mess of the talks, accusing them of rejecting their own document.

The DA is now also waiting for its leader to engage once more with Ramaphosa, who has agreed, but is yet to commit to a time for the engagement.