South Africa’s opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has formally requested that Parliament’s Speaker, Thoko Didiza, halt Wednesday’s scheduled vote on the next stage of the national budget process. The party argues that the approval of the fiscal framework by a key parliamentary committee on Tuesday was “procedurally defective” and could be legally challenged.
In a letter to the Speaker, the EFF demanded the withdrawal of the committee’s report supporting the fiscal framework and called for the postponement of Wednesday’s parliamentary session. “Should this not occur, the EFF … will consider urgent legal steps, including the possibility of an interdict, to prevent the tabling and processing of a report adopted in violation of the law,” the letter warned.
The African National Congress (ANC), the largest party in the ruling coalition, secured the fiscal framework’s approval in the Standing Committee on Finance by enlisting support from ActionSA, a party outside the coalition. This move has drawn criticism from the ANC’s main coalition partner, the Democratic Alliance (DA), which accused the ruling party of crossing a “line in the sand” by relying on external allies to push through financial measures.
Adding to the controversy, COSATU, South Africa’s largest trade union federation and a longtime ANC ally, voiced strong opposition to the fiscal framework. The union warned that ignoring parliamentary concerns about raising value-added tax (VAT) and failing to adjust personal income tax (PIT) brackets for inflation would be a “travesty” and a betrayal of public trust.
“It will be a calamity and breach of trust that politicians heading into the 2026 local elections dare not play with,” COSATU said in a statement. With tensions rising and legal action looming, South Africa’s budget process faces increasing uncertainty as political divisions deepen ahead of the 2026 local elections.
