Budget scrapes through with slim ANC majority

THE ANC yesterday managed by a whisker to pass the national budget against spirited opposition from other political parties.

Needing 200 votes in the National Assembly for the budget to pass, the ANC managed to scrape together 203 by yesterday afternoon.

The voting had been postponed in the morning when the ANC could not manage to persuade 200 of its 249 MPs to attend parliament.

Achieving the majority was an important test which the visibly relieved new ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu passed – if only just.

The DA proposed more than 300 changes, endeavouring to cut the budget by more than R9billion, all of which were voted down.

DA MP David Maynier said the amendments were aimed at improving the lives of people in South Africa. The DA proposals aimed to: ● Create jobs by allocating an additional R1.2-billion to fund approximately 180 000 new work opportunities in the Expanded Public Works Programme;

● Fight crime by allocating an additional R500-million to establish a specialised unit to fight gang and drug-related crime;

● Assist poor students by allocating R2.73-billion to provide additional funding to 205 000 students who qualify for funding under the National Student Financial Aid Scheme;

● Fight corruption by allocating an additional R117.89-million to fund the Office of the Public Protector;

● Assist poor households by allocating an additional R2.24billion to assist social grant beneficiaries battling high food prices; and

● Provide drought relief by allocating an additional R2.73billion to assist drought-stricken communities.

The proposed amendments would have been funded by reprioritising expenditure within the existing budget, and would have had no effect on the fiscal deficit, which is estimated to be R139-billion, or 3.2% of GDP, in 2016-17, Maynier said.

The DA asked that the R4billion which the government wants to spend on a new jet for President Jacob Zuma be held back, but the ANC would have nothing of it.

Today, debates on each departmental budget vote will be concluded.

Parliament will rise next Thursday for the local government election campaign.