Tonight ActionSA has done a deal with the ANC to pass a 1% VAT hike over the next 2 years, making life more expensive for South Africans.
The DA has fought and negotiated for a Budget that would have created growth and jobs, cut the waste in government and stopped VAT hikes – but with the ANC, ActionSA has denied the people of South Africa what our economy needs.
The DA condemns this sell-out tactic by ActionSA, which has worked with the ANC to adopt the Budget and has condemned the poorest South Africans to a higher cost of living.
By adopting this Budget, without the reforms and changes that were needed, ActionSA has shamefully shut down the required government spending review. This is extremely irresponsible, and will hand a blank cheque to the ANC to continue spending government money without review.
This is a despicable u-turn from ActionSA which publicly committed to not support the ANC’s VAT Budget, and yet have now supported it.
This is also a serious infraction by the ANC, which has crossed a line in the sand by getting the Budget approved using a Party that is not in the GNU.
In governments across South Africa, ActionSA continues to lend its seats and votes to whoever will give them relevance, no matter how much damage to they do.
This is a betrayal of the people of South Africa, who cannot afford a VAT hike.
Let the history books show that ActionSA has brought a VAT hike to the people of South Africa.