PRESS RELEASE: Ultimate Test for the GNU Will Be Whether It Can Force the ANC to Change Economic Course, Says RP
PRESS RELEASE: Unless we slash spending & promote economic growth, nothing will change
Ultimate Test for the GNU Will Be Whether It Can Force the ANC to Change Economic Course, Says RP
The Referendum Party (RP) has mixed emotions about the last-minute postponement of the budget.
The ANC intended to raise taxes rather than cut costs from our excessively bloated and profligate public sector. This confirms that it has learned absolutely nothing from its decades of economic mismanagement of the South African economy. This budget would have continued our downward economic trajectory.
The RP is therefore pleased that the ANC’s GNU partners have finally found some backbone and blocked the ANC. It now remains to be seen what will happen next. The cabinet is fundamentally divided and could not reach a consensus. Blocking the ANC was the easy part; prevailing upon it to change economic course is an altogether more difficult proposition. That will be the ultimate test of the GNU.
Referendum Party Leader, Phil Craig, says, “Unless South Africa can slash spending whilst promoting economic growth, nothing will change. Tinkering at the edges will achieve nothing. We want to see an end to race-based policies, the privatisation or closure of loss-making state-owned entities, marked improvements in the ease of doing business, and huge cuts in government and the public sector.”
DATE: 19 February 2025
Uiteindelike toets vir die RNE sal wees of dit die ANC kan dwing om sy ekonomiese koers te verander, sê RP
Die Referendum Party (RP) het gemengde emosies oor die laaste-minute uitstel van die begroting.
Die ANC het bedoel om belasting te verhoog eerder as om koste in ons oorvergroeide en verkwistende openbare sektor te sny. Dit bevestig dat hulle glad nie iets geleer het van sy dekades van ekonomiese wanbestuur van die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie nie. Hierdie begroting sou ons afwaartse ekonomiese trajek voortgesit het.
Die RP is dus bly dat die ANC se GNU-vennote uiteindelik bietjie ruggraat gevind het en die ANC geblokkeer het. Dit bly nou om te sien wat volgende sal gebeur. Die kabinet is fundamenteel verdeel en kon nie konsensus bereik nie. Die blokkering van die ANC was die maklikste deel; om dit te dwing om sy ekonomiese koers te verander, is 'n veel moeiliker taak. Dit sal die uiteindelike toets van die GNU wees.
Leier van die Referendum Party, Phil Craig, sê: “Tensy Suid-Afrika sy besteding kan sny terwyl dit ekonomiese groei bevorder, sal niks verander nie. Gerommel aan die kante sal niks bereik nie. Ons wil die einde van rassegebaseerde beleide sien, die privatisering of sluiting van verliese-makende staatsondernemings, merkbare verbeterings in die gemaksamheid van sake doen, en groot snyde in die regering en die openbare sektor.”