ANC rallying all members to be present in NA for budget approval
Parties like the Economic Freedom Fighters(EFF) and Democratic Alliance (DA) don’t believe this is a legally sound move - and the finance minister could dismiss the demand to ditch the zero point five percent hike in an amended fiscal framework.
African National Congress emblem. Picture: AFP
JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) will be rallying all its members to be present in the National Assembly on Wednesday afternoon.
This comes as not all is yet lost in getting the budget blueprint across the line without the support from its biggest coalition partner.
The party has managed to rally several smaller parties to lend their support, provided that the value-added tax (VAT) hike is eventually removed from the fiscal framework.
Parties like the Economic Freedom Fighters(EFF) and Democratic Alliance (DA) don’t believe this is a legally sound move, and the finance minister could dismiss the demand to ditch the 0.5% hike in an amended fiscal framework.
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The DA won't be the only Government of National Unity (GNU) partner to vote against the fiscal framework on Wednesday, with the Freedom Front Plus also expected to join them among the nos.
At least 134 of the National Assembly’s 400 members must be present at this sitting for it to go ahead.
But the ANC would not want to leave anything to chance and will be insisting almost all its 159 members are present to maximise the requisite 50% plus 1% of all the votes cast for the budget framework to be adopted.
The fiscal framework can muster at least 200 votes, with the support of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Patriotic Alliance (PA), Action SA, United Democratic Movement (UDM), Rise Mzansi, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), Al-Jamah and Good Party,
However, the number of votes won’t be the only consideration as the EFF threatens to mount a legal challenge against the process followed in Tuesday’s finance committee.
The National Assembly will also have to grapple with the National Council of Provinces’ select committee, having failed to vote on the framework on Tuesday.
With that process still in limbo, the budget battle is far from over.
The money bills can't be considered until consensus has been reached from both houses on the fiscal framework.