IFP slams DA for claiming responsibility over budget postponement

JOHANNESBURG - Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader, Velenkosini Hlabisa has slammed the Democratic Alliance (DA) for claiming responsibility for the postponement of the budget speech.

Last month, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana could not table his budget after coalition partners rejected his proposed increase to value-added tax (VAT).

The DA claimed this as a major victory, saying its rejection of the tax hike is the reason the Government of National Unity (GNU) decided to postpone the budget speech.

However, the IFP said the DA is not being truthful.

Hlabisa said it's distasteful for the DA to claim it was the first to reject the finance minister's plan to increase VAT.

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"People sometimes get lost because of misinformation and misrepresentation of what happened in Cabinet and the discussion around the rejection of a two percentage VAT increase unfolded. I'm not calling anyone by name, but I'm saying anyone who claims that it was them, unfortunately, on my record, they are not the one who stood first to speak against the VAT increase."

Hlabisa has accused the DA of distorting the truth.

"It is not the party that claims that was the first to speak in Cabinet against the two percentage points VAT increase, nor the second to speak."

As the finance minister prepares to table his budget speech on Wednesday, the GNU has yet to finalise the contents of his speech.