Why should we pay for plunder?

While the national budget seemingly represents steps towards stabilising national debt caused by various factors such as the ailing economy, poor management and wasteful expenditure at South Africa’s state owned enterprises, tender related fraud and corruption among others, an increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) will have a devastating effect on the less privileged and vulnerable citizens of South Africa.

Although social grants have been increased and the zero-rating of basic foodstuffs will help in balancing the negative impact, the overall effects will be disastrous for the working class and unemployed as VAT affects the cost of almost everything. Poor households will experience additional hardship as salaries and wages do not keep up with all these increases.

The tax proposals announced by Minister of Finance Malusi Gigaba, pictured, centre, are designed to increase revenue collection to reduce the budget deficit, but why should citizens pay for the gross plunder, blunder and misdemeanours of some government officials?

The starting point should be to cut ministerial salaries, perks and government expenditure before resorting to a VAT hike as most government ministers were in power when the “looting” of state coffers took place.

How did former president Jacob Zuma survive so many motions of no-confidence votes? Why didn’t MPs vote honestly according to their conscience?

The “tough, but hopeful budget”, with “difficult, but necessary trade-offs” won’t help bridge the gap between the rich and poor. Mohamed Saeed, Pietermaritzburg