EFF Rejects Budget Bill, Accuses Helen Zille of Using Public Purse for GNU Power Games

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have come out swinging against the 2025 Appropriation Bill, accusing the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Helen Zille of using South Africa’s national budget as a tool to play political chess within the Government of National Unity (GNU).

Speaking during a heated parliamentary sitting at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Wednesday, EFF MP Omphile Maotwe made it clear: her party would not back what she called a “compromise budget” negotiated to save a shaky coalition, rather than serve struggling South Africans.

“The EFF rejects the proposed Appropriation Bill tabled by the Minister of Finance,” Maotwe declared. “We didn’t come here to play internal coalition games. We came here to make sure the voices of communities from Giyani to Atlantis, from Lusikisiki to Khuma are heard in this House.”

A Budget That Fails the People?

The Appropriation Bill is the key piece of legislation that unlocks government funding for national departments. But Maotwe says the budget is disconnected from reality, pointing to ongoing service delivery failures:

• Missing funds for a promised bridge in Diepsloot

• Persistent water shortages in Jozini

• No disaster relief after floods in Mthatha

She said communities in Marikana, Taung, Kwandebele, Mamelodi, and Thohoyandou are still waiting for basic dignity.

“This budget will not eradicate pit toilets. It will not hire more doctors, nurses, or teachers. It will not grow the economy. It will make our people even poorer,” she said.

Zille Accused of ‘Weaponising’ the Budget

Maotwe took direct aim at DA federal chair Helen Zille, accusing her of treating the national budget as a weapon to manage internal power struggles within the GNU, rather than a tool for transformation and redistribution.

“For the supervisors in the government of neoliberal unity, led by the chief supervisor Ms. Helen Zille, the budget is not about fighting unemployment, poverty, or inequality. It’s a tool to fight political squabbles,” she said.

Proposals Ignored, Logic Sacrificed

Despite their rejection of the bill, the EFF says it made several constructive proposals within the current fiscal framework. These included:

• Increasing the health budget to employ 9,000 unemployed doctors

• Boosting education funds to eliminate pit toilets and teacher shortages

• Expanding resources for Stats SA and SARS to strengthen state capacity

“We did not turn this budget into a political football,” Maotwe said. “We engaged in a principled manner  and for that, we reject the 2025 Appropriation Bill.”

Ramaphosa Yields to DA Pressure

The Democratic Alliance has taken a different approach. While it previously threatened to block the bill over the conduct of Higher Education Minister Dr. Nobuhle Nkabane, it confirmed its support after President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed her.

Nkabane was accused of misleading Parliament over appointments to SETA boards. Ramaphosa removed her earlier this week, replacing her with Buti Manamela and appointing former KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube as deputy minister.

The DA credited its pressure for the president’s decision, positioning itself as a key player in passing the budget.

Will the Bill Pass?

The bill needs a simple majority, 201 out of 400 seats in the National Assembly to pass. With the ANC holding 159 seats and the DA 87, they have just enough to push it through, unless internal divisions derail the vote.

The EFF (39 seats) and MK Party (58 seats) have both announced their opposition.

As tensions inside the GNU escalate, the national budget now sits at the intersection of political survival and public service and for many ordinary South Africans, the stakes could not be higher.

{Source: IOL}

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