Cape Town – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has intensified calls for Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s resignation, accusing him of endangering South Africa’s economy following the controversial VAT hike saga.
Although the National Treasury reversed the proposed increase — which would have raised VAT from 15% to 15.5% on May 1 — the EFF says the damage is done and labels the budget process as “misguided, reckless and unconstitutional”.
The party, which joined the legal challenge against the hike as an intervening party, insists that the reversal does not go far enough. They are demanding a complete withdrawal and reset of the national budget process.
The EFF argues that the Treasury’s focus on a rigid fiscal framework ignores South Africa’s urgent needs: job creation and economic recovery.
The EFF’s Statement on the Withdrawal of the 2025 Budget and the VAT Hike
-Furthermore, the EFF calls for the immediate resignation of the Minister of Finance and the Director General of the National Treasury. This entire budget fiasco should be a reflection for the Minister of… pic.twitter.com/12mkwdOTDC
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) April 24, 2025
“South Africans need jobs and economic growth urgently, and the state is the only institution with the capacity to respond — yet the National Treasury remains obsessed with an unscientific fiscal anchor strategy that will only plunge South Africa into a deeper crisis.
“The EFF calls for the immediate resignation of the Minister of Finance and the Director-General of the National Treasury. This entire budget fiasco should be a reflection for the Minister of Finance and his Director General that they are out of depth and pose a threat to the economic stability of the country and, by consequence, are a threat to the livelihoods of South Africans,” the EFF said.
Calling for an emergency meeting with all political party leaders, the EFF has urged National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to release all correspondence with Godongwana.
They also criticised the Treasury’s approach as out of touch, warning that the current economic direction could push the country toward collapse.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
