DA to push for govt spending review to end wasteful expenditure
On Thursday, the party renewed its call for the spending review after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s withdrawal of the 0.5 percentage point vat increase.
DA federal council chairperson, Helen Zille, addressed a media briefing on 24 April 2025. Picture: Babalo Ndenze/EWN
CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance (DA) will now push for a government spending review, which the party says should look at all government expenditure to end waste.
On Thursday, the party renewed its call for the spending review after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s withdrawal of the 0.5 percentage point VAT increase.
However, the DA said it had yet to receive the out-of-court settlement agreement from the finance minister.
READ: DA adamant its court challenge led to VAT hike U-turn withdrawal
Following the VAT reversal, the only issue on which the DA seems to agree with the African National Congress (ANC) is the need for a government spending review.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri confirmed during a joint press briefing with smaller parties on Thursday that the budget review process would now commence.
DA federal chairperson, Helen Zille, said the review must include some of its earlier suggestions, which were initially rejected by the minister.
"So the DA will now be pushing very hard for the necessary spending review. Long before this process began, we made proposals to the national government on how we could dramatically save money."
She said their proposals included an audit of government ghost workers and cutting waste, and not crucial frontline services. The party said this would do enough to plug the revenue gap.