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The IFP believes that the Mini-Budget statement by Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, to be delivered today, holds nothing than simply more of the same.

Year-in and year-out, South Africans hear more of the same. We expect that this Budget should be radically different from the previous statements delivered before Parliament over the past 28 years. We expect this Budget to boost confidence in investment, open our entities to further privatisation and focus on developing small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs).

Parliament has failed in its duty to hold the Executive to account by acting as a mere rubber-stamp organisation, as the ANC uses its majority in the house to push through billions of rands in the wrong direction, and pass bailout budgets for collapsing State-Owned Entities (SOEs).

Our country is not short of great policies, big ideas and financial safeguarding procedures to ensure that we develop our economy and lift millions of South Africans out of poverty. However, the reality is that we are short of strong and decisive leadership that is capable and able to steer our country out of the economic mess created by the ruling party.

Our focus now should be less on what National Treasury is doing, and rather on the non-performing national government departments and their entities. We cannot allow fruitless, wasteful and irregular expenditure to continue, nor can we turn a blind eye to corruption.

Government must root out individuals who do not have the best interests of our people at heart and who find no fault - and no shame - in looting the public’s coffers.

South Africa cannot move forward with the same role-players and stakeholders. We simply cannot afford to pass a Budget as if things are ‘business as usual’ in our country.

We have lost trust in those at the helm of our government to fix things. Therefore, we expect that this Budget must see an increase in spending on our institutions of justice.

The fundamentals of this Budget must address the fact that South Africans are unable to put food on the table, as the cost of living is becoming increasingly difficult. Social relief would assist the most vulnerable.

Government would be failing the poorest South Africans if it were to cut the budgets of the departments that play a critical role in developing our citizens. We will not support this Budget if it cuts basic education, healthcare, local and provincial spending and does not support further development of SMMEs.

Communities want to see tangible changes in their lives and surroundings. The key priority areas are healthcare, policing, social services, infrastructure development and the delivery of basic dignified services, such as water, electricity and proper sanitation.

Those who hold political office and public servants who vie for control of our country’s budget must be dealt with decisively once and for all.

South Africa is left with a major leadership vacuum due to the lack of accountability.

Our SOEs have become too big to fail, and now we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The IFP supports all measures to privatise this sector and get our country back to work! 

Issued by IFP Deputy President and Spokesperson on Finance  Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi