Finance Minister Calls Out GNU Members for Distancing Themselves from the Budget
What Happened in Parliament?
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana spoke during the debate on the Division of Revenue Bill. He criticised some members of the Government of National Unity (GNU) for trying to separate themselves from the budget decisions.
Key Points Godongwana Made
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Collective Responsibility
He reminded MPs that the GNU is an agreement between political parties, not just individuals. Parties must stand together on the budget; you can’t pick the parts you like and ignore the rest. -
Stay on Topic
Godongwana said many MPs were talking about unrelated issues instead of focusing on how national money should be split between national, provincial, and local governments. -
How the Money Is Shared
The Division of Revenue Bill allocates:- R951.7 billion to the national government
- R810.5 billion to the provinces
- R182.3 billion to municipalities
Additional provincial funds include:
- R342 million for Grade R teacher salaries
- R340 million for an early‑retirement and voluntary‑exit programme
- R319 million for the presidential employment initiative
- R1.5 billion added to the provincial roads maintenance grant to cover disaster‑related costs from April 2024 to June 2025
Reactions from Opposition Parties
- MK Party – MP Sanele Mwali argued the budget protects the economic elite and President Ramaphosa’s allies, calling it unfair to ordinary people.
- EFF – MP Omphile Maotwe noted that the committee did not raise the local‑government share to the 14 % they had demanded, leaving it at 9 %.
- DA – MP Mark Burke said the current formula rewards poor performance because it does not consider audit results; he called it a sign of systemic failure.
Godongwana’s Response to Criticism
- He stressed that asking for a higher local‑government share is fine, but MPs must also say where the extra money will come from. Simply demanding more without a source is not realistic.
- The minister urged local governments to improve their own performance instead of blaming the budget for every problem.
- He mentioned that a review of the Equitable Share formula is being considered, which could change how funds are distributed in the future.
The Bill’s Progress
- The Division of Revenue Bill passed with 228 votes and has been sent to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) for agreement.
- The Special Appropriation Bill was also approved and forwarded to the NCOP earlier.
Conclusion
Finance Minister Godongwana’s message is clear: the budget is a team effort, and all GNU members must own it together. While opposition parties raise valid concerns about fairness and performance, the minister insists that any calls for change must be realistic and backed by a plan for where the money will come from. As the bills move to the NCOP, the debate over how South Africa shares its wealth will continue, but the call for collective responsibility remains at the heart of the discussion.
