Rise Mzansi's Zibi confident govt can find up to R100 billion through savings and careful budgeting
The Western Cape High Court on Sunday officially suspended the 0.5 percentage point VAT increase and the process followed by Parliament.
Scopa chairperson Songezo Zibi. Picture: Parliament/Phando Jikelo
JOHANNESBURG - Rise Mzansi leader, Songezo Zibi, is confident government can find up to R100 billion through savings and careful budgeting.
Zibi made the remarks after the country dodged an unpopular value-added tax (VAT) increase to help raise government revenue.
The Western Cape High Court on Sunday officially suspended the 0.5 percentage point VAT increase and the process followed by Parliament.
Zibi said cutting wasteful spending is possible.
READ: DA hails court ruling suspending VAT increase
"I am the chairperson of (SCOPA), [Standing Committee on Public Accounts]. There is potentially about R100 billion that we can find, we just can’t find it in a month and Helen Zille and anyone else must not pretend that sending a letter to the municipality somewhere and say stop wasting money."
He said the court challenge also indicates how the time for unilateral budget decisions is over.
"The era of budgets that are uncontested and the majority party could do whatever it chooses is over and this level of scrutiny is a really good thing," he added.