Cabinet to finalise budget discussions in Special Meeting on Monday

The Cabinet was still engaging on the budget and a special meeting will be held on Monday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said on Thursday.

Addressing the media after the meeting on Wednesday, Ntshavheni said the Cabinet reiterated that the postponement of the 2025 Budget Speech to March 12 was due to efforts by the Cabinet to collectively address the nation’s funding challenges within a constrained fiscal environment.

“Cabinet assures South Africans that deliberations on the 2025 budget are continuing to determine the best ways to fund our financial priorities and ensure the budget reflects the aspirations of all South Africans.

“The postponement, while it is the first in the history of South Africa, but not out of the norm in other jurisdictions, it is still within the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act,” she said.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana could not table the budget last week after parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) could not reach consensus.

Ntshavheni said the tabling of the budget will go ahead as planned.

“The 12 of March is cast in stone. That is what Speaker announced and she announced with confirmation of the Cabinet,” she said.

She said the Cabinet was engaging on the budget and there was a timeline they needed to comply with.

“We are to comply to conclude the budget process within the mandate of the Cabinet and allow the Minister of Finance to be responsible for matters relate to his responsibilities as the Minister of Finance.”

Ntshavheni dismissed suggestions of rumours on contestation over the budget within the cabinet.

“Rumours of contestation are just rumors. In Cabinet we don’t have political parties and we don’t have people representing their political parties.”

She insisted ministers were appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to be members of the cabinet to act as a collective.

“That has been made clear to say that nobody is bringing a party jacket. We are there to represent the interest of all South Africans.”

She said a special Cabinet meeting will be held on Monday.

“It is part of a process to finalise our part as Cabinet and input to allow the Minister of Finance and treasury team do what they are required to do what is provided for in the law,” Ntshavheni added.

The Minister confirmed that the Cabinet concurred to the appointment of Professor John Lamola who has been appointed as CEO for South African Airways for two years.

She would not be drawn into commenting whether there was opposition to Lamola’s appointment.

“The Minister of Transport issued a statement earlier this morning to clarify the whole process. In terms of the Cabinet we approve the appointment or not approve the appointment,” she said, adding that she could not give a blow by blow account of how the discussion unfolded.

On Monday, the DA said it reported Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Minister Barbara Creecy to the Public Protector following reports of alleged undue political interference in the appointment process for the SAA CEO position.

Ntshavheni also said Cabinet received and welcomed an update on the recovery efforts by Eskom to stabilise the nation's power supply following a series of unforeseen incidents at multiple power stations that led to the implementation of load shedding to protect the national grid at the weekend.

Ntshavheni said the Cabinet acknowledged the swift response by Eskom's technical team to recover 4 800 MW with four of the five tripped units at Majuba returned and two of the four tripped units returned at Camden on February 23.

She added that  more than 716 900 social grant beneficiaries have swapped their Sassa gold cards for the Postbank black cards.

The deadline for beneficiaries to swap the cards has been postponed  to March 20.

She said Postbank has increased the number of tellers in card replacement sites and encouraged beneficiaries to visit their nearest retail stores such as Shoprite, Checkers, Pick ‘n Pay, Usave or Boxer to collect their new Postbank cards.

Mobile offices will be available in the rural areas to assist beneficiaries and Postbank has partnered with the Spar Group to designate 200 stores to serve as card  replacement sites.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za