ActionSA to re-evaluate joining GNU should DA exit government — Trollip

ActionSA will reconsider its decision to enter into the government of national unity (GNU) should the DA leave government, the party said while warning the ANC there will be consequences if it reneges on its agreement to reverse the VAT increase.

ActionSA’s parliamentary leaders held a media briefing on Thursday after the National Assembly sitting on Wednesday which saw the budget passed with the help of the Herman Mashaba-led party.

“If the DA leaves the GNU, or if they are kicked out of the GNU, we will reconsider our position, because the DA is good at opposition. The opposition space is suddenly disproportionately full and the government space might be limited. So, we will re-evaluate. We will do that, but only once this VAT matter is sorted,” ActionSA’s chief whip Athol Trollip said.

Trollip, however said there had been no communication with the ANC over a reconfiguration of the GNU as yet.

TimesLIVE reported earlier on Thursday the DA was preparing to exit government with insiders revealing DA leader John Steenhuisen had met DA ministers to discuss a DA exit from the GNU. A leaked audio of President Cyril Ramaphosa also revealed him telling the ANC caucus engagements with ActionSA were more progressive than the DA when it came to the budget.

Insiders in the ANC had previously told TimesLIVE the ANC was entertaining an inclusion of ActionSA in the GNU.

The passing of the budget in parliament followed the adoption of ActionSA’s proposal at the standing committee on finance.

ActionSA proposed the 0.5 percentage-point VAT increase be scrapped, a removal of inflation adjustments for personal income tax is not approved and the committee has 30 days to develop alternative proposals to raise the R19bn in personal income tax and R13bn in VAT mooted.

Trollip said ActionSA remained resolute in its commitment to shield ordinary South Africans from unjust and unnecessary tax hikes.

“We cannot allow the spread of reductionist, malicious and outright false narratives that are being perpetrated by bad faith actors. These do nothing to reassure South Africans and cause more harm, especially when they come from those who offer no practical solutions.

“No amount of petulant, childlike behaviour, such as ripping up speeches or storming off the podium after delivering nothing more than an attack sound bite, will protect South Africans from unfair tax increases.

“What must be made clear is that yesterday’s [Wednesday] adoption of the report was about determining the size of the government’s spending and was the first step in kick-starting the substantive deliberations necessary to develop the appropriation, revenue and tax bills in the coming days, weeks and months,” he said.

Finance minister Enoch Godongwana could not say definitively whether National Treasury would reverse the VAT hike.

Trollip said all stakeholders would do well to remember the budgeting process still involves multiple bills that will be voted on in the coming months.

“Our support remains conditional on the strict fulfilment of the agreement to scrap the VAT increase and income tax bracket creep through alternative proposals, several of which we have already outlined,” he said.

The DA has been accused of “grandstanding’ and “arrogantly” choosing to engage with only the ANC while leaving other parties within the GNU and parliament out of the budget discussions.

The accusations against the DA were made by Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi and UDM leader Bantu Holomisa.

Reiterating this, Trollip said they had made an effort to engage the DA.

“What must be noted about the DA is ActionSA made genuine efforts to engage them on the budget. Not only were we rebuffed continuously, we were insulted, we were maligned. Alan Beasley was treated with such contempt by Mark Burke, who has made it an art form to be unreasonable and rude and arrogant, and he has alienated everybody in the standing committee because they simply won't engage.

“I have engaged the EFF. I wrote to the MK party, they blue-ticked us. But what is ironic, the DA spoke to nobody other than the ANC, making their unreasonable demands. They overplayed their hand.

“They didn't engage us, they didn't engage the IFP, they didn't engage Rise Mzansi. Were they serious about finding a solution to this impasse? No. I believe they are propagating this impasse in their interest. They are not putting South Africans first,” Trollip said.

TimesLIVE