Godongwana Under Fire for Skipping Budget Briefing in Person

Enoch Godongwana’s Budget 2025/26 briefing to Parliament got off to a rough start as tensions erupted over his decision to participate virtually. The meeting, which was supposed to give MPs a chance to discuss the specifics of the budget, descended into a contentious discussion about presence, protocol, and the importance of in-person accountability.

The minister’s absence from the chamber was strongly criticized by a number of opposition MPs, particularly those from the MK Party and the EFF. Omphile Maotwe, an EFF MP, demanded that the session be postponed and questioned why Godongwana was permitted to appear virtually, claiming that it was preferential treatment.

“This meeting wasn’t unexpected. The minister chose to be somewhere else even though he was aware of the date beforehand” Maotwe contended.

The EFF wasn’t the only group that was unhappy. The minister was also criticized by MK Party MP Brian Molefe for attending a business breakfast the day before but not attending Parliament in person.

Molefe said, “It’s perplexing that the minister gave business stakeholders priority over this important meeting with MPs.”

MPs were instructed to keep their contributions to a maximum of five minutes each, which only served to increase their annoyance. Sinawo Thambo of the EFF resisted, arguing that the budget process was too important for such stringent deadlines, especially since it involved new revenue plans and fiscal frameworks.

Others weren’t convinced, despite ANC MPs and DA Denis Ruyder defending the hybrid format as standard practice and effective. Des van Rooyen, an MP for the MK Party, claimed that turning the meeting into a virtual engagement made it seem like a pointless box-ticking exercise.

Van Rooyen cautioned that “it can’t be business as usual” and urged other members of parliament to think about delaying the meeting.

Mmusi Maimane, the chair of the committee, acknowledged the annoyances but reminded the MPs that timeliness and tradition were at risk.

“We run the risk of missing important deadlines required to process the Budget if we delay,” Maimane warned.

After a while, Finance Minister Godongwana spoke and apologized for the misunderstanding. He clarified that he had already changed his personal commitments because he had been misinformed about the session’s rescheduling.

“I’m truly sorry. I’ve participated in these meetings virtually before,” he said. In order to brief NEDLAC on the budget later in the day, Godongwana also asked to be excused.

The meeting eventually went forward, despite opposition from various parts of Parliament, despite the ongoing conflict between procedural expectations and the flexibility of the digital age.

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Sourced:IOL

Picture: X/@BuzzLifenews