Pointless petition
THE DA has played an important role in holding the ruling party to account, but occasionally it does something that reduces to nothing all the good work it has put in.
The DA’s decision to launch a petition against the 1% increase in VAT is a case in point.
Over the weekend, DA leader Mmusi Maimane launched a petition against the increase. His party is also against the steep increases in fuel taxes that will inevitably push up the cost of food and transport.
Fair enough. But Maimane did little to explain what the DA is proposing to help find the almost R50 billion needed to fund the shortfall in revenue.
The DA has put forward some options, including cutting the size of the executive. However, most of these suggestions add up to millions, and not the billions that are needed.
Also, in his maiden State of the Nation address, President Cyril Ramaphosa had in fact said that he would reduce the size of the cabinet.
The one option the DA proposes that will bring us to R50bn is a salary freeze for all government employees in this financial year.
It sounds fine, but it places a heavy burden on government workers. Most of these workers did not make the decisions that resulted in the financial mess we are now in. It is often the senior government figures at the upper echelons who are abusing taxpayers’ money, and millions at that. One does not need to look far. Our state-owned enterprises leave a lot to be desired.
The only way workers are likely to respond to the DA’s move is by punishing the party.
And if the party is serious about being the next government, it will need these votes.
Clutching at VAT increases as a way to get voters on its side is not ideal for the DA, whose leaders must understand that running a country is a different ball game. The bottom line is that while there is some unhappiness about the VAT increase, a key objective is to lift the economy from its knees. There’s no arguing this will be painful, but the DA must guard against creating false hope in the form of a petition.