The Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to “immediately” table a Money Bill to relieve the hunger of millions.

On Friday, the DA marched to Godongwana’s office in Pretoria to protest the cost-of-living crisis - which it said was imposed by the “uncaring” African National Congress (ANC) government - culminating in its handing him a memorandum before the mid-year budget.

Godongwana is due to deliver the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement on November 1, in Parliament.

The DA demands that government expand the zero-VAT-rated food basket by adding its proposed list of items, as many South Africans struggle with rising food prices.

“Only the Minister of Finance has the constitutional authority to introduce such a Bill and he can do this on Wednesday when he presents the mid-year budget,” said DA Shadow Minister of Finance Dr Dion George.

He believes there is more than enough money to cut VAT if corruption is stopped.

“Our economy is on its knees because the ANC government made the wrong policy choices. It placed an incompetent, incapable and corrupt government at the centre instead of encouraging the development of a strong and vibrant, enterprising economy,” he said.

George alleged that the ANC government had mismanaged public funds, crushed economic growth, driven workers out of jobs, and caused unemployment and poverty.

“It is a crime that over 50% of South Africans are living in poverty. It is a crime that 27% of children under the age of 5 years are stunted because of hunger. It is a crime that a mother in the Eastern Cape would commit suicide and kill her children because she can no longer put food on the table. It is a crime because South Africa should not be a poor country,” said DA Chief Whip Siviwe Gwarube.

Gwarube blamed an “uncaring and greedy government” for the hunger experienced.

“They have failed and all South Africans are getting poorer. It is the job of government to protect South Africans from the cost-of-living crisis. Government can fix this problem, but it won’t, because it doesn’t care,” she added.

She said the DA had a plan and would fix the issue “when” it governed South Africa next year.

She said the DA would slash fuel taxes and levies to decrease the cost of transport, saying this would also decrease the cost of food as the high cost of transporting food was pushing up food prices.

George promised that if elected, the DA would drop VAT on more items purchased by the poorest, such as bone-in-chicken, beef, tinned beans, wheat flour, margarine, peanut butter, baby food, tea, coffee and soup powder.

He said immediate and decisive action was required to counter the mounting cost-of-living crisis, but claimed that government would not repond.