Media Statements

The African National Congress (ANC) welcomes the adoption of the fiscal framework for the 2025 national Budget by Parliament. This budget consolidates our fiscal framework to ensure that our government is able to provide services to the most vulnerable in society.

This is a progressive and pro-poor budget that affirms our commitment to building a developmental state that places the needs of the poor and working class at the centre of economic policy. It responds to the lived realities of our people—addressing unemployment, inequality, and poverty—while accelerating investment in infrastructure, energy, and industrialisation to drive inclusive growth and economic transformation.

Parliament’s finance committees on Tuesday approved the fiscal framework tabled by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, paving the way for its adoption by vote in the National Assembly. This approval reinforces the ANC’s approach of ensuring fiscal responsibility while prioritising the urgent needs of our people.

The ANC has always acted in the best interests of the people. The adjustment of VAT by 0.5% was a difficult decision, done transparently and with a firm commitment to cushion the poor through expanded zero-rated goods and targeted support for indigent households. The ANC-led GNU is a caring government that listens and responds to the needs of the people.

This budget speaks directly to the aspirations of millions of South Africans. It is a budget that advances our agenda for radical socio-economic transformation. It strengthens the provision of free basic services, education, and health care, while unlocking opportunities for youth and women, and supporting township and rural economies. This is in line with our commitment to invest in people, reduce the high cost of living, to build a resilient economy and to create much needed jobs and to fight poverty.

The ANC calls on all sectors of society to work together in the implementation of this people’s budget—so that no one is left behind and the dividends of democracy are shared by all.

The ANC firmly believes that advancing social justice and economic equality must remain at the heart of South Africa’s fiscal policies. We reject any attempts to weaponise budget debates to undermine progressive reforms that uplift marginalised communities. Our commitment to protecting working-classfamilies and the poor is unwavering, which is why we advocate for expanding VAT exemptions on essential goods ensuring that austerity measures never fall disproportionately on those least able to bear them.

At the same time, we call for rigorous fiscal discipline to safeguard public resources. Government must adopt a zero-tolerance stance against corruption and wasteful expenditure, redirecting every rand toward programs that reduce inequality, create jobs, and deliver quality services. True transformation requires both compassion and accountability: a state that prioritises the needs of its people while rooting out the systemic rot that undermines trust and progress.

The ANC stands for a future where economic policies are designed not for the privileged few, but for the collective good a society where solidarity, transparency, and equitable growth define our path forward.

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