WATCH | Godongwana won’t quit: ‘Budget process no longer guaranteed under ANC majority’

Cape Town – Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana says he will not resign despite growing pressure over the 2025 budget impasse, triggered by a court ruling that reversed a proposed 1% VAT increase.

Godongwana announced on Wednesday that a third revised budget will be tabled in Parliament on 21 May, incorporating a new fiscal framework and legislative instruments.

He attributed the budget difficulties to the complexities of the current government of national unity and coalition politics.

Godongwana emphasised that his role is constitutionally mandated and resignation is the president’s prerogative.

“We are dealing with unchartered terrain. As you are aware, we used to have a budget with a dominant party being the ANC. And one would prepare the Budget and when you go to Parliament you are sure the ANC will pass the Budget,” the minister said.

Enoch Godongwana begins in his answering of questions by saying “We are in uncharted waters. Normally under a dominant party, you present a budget and the ANC passes it”

He is basically saying that under normal circumstances, the 2% VAT increase would have passed – the loss of… pic.twitter.com/64sFWOU2De

— Sinawo Thambo (@Sinawo_Thambo) April 30, 2025

“Now we are in a coalition government. That coalition government takes two forms. One, there is a GNGU in Cabinet but in Parliament, there is a number of political parties. Therefore, when you table a money bill, Section 77 of the Constitution empowers me to do that.

“I was within my constitutional parameters to table a money bill. What then happened – because of the nature of the coalition politics, we couldn’t find consensus – both in Cabinet and in the legislature… That process on its own was messy.”

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula also backed Godongwana, calling the resignation calls “political posturing” and criticising the DA for taking the VAT matter to court.