Parliament faces budget impasse as DA threatens to vote against ministers

PARLIAMENT is at a crossroads on the passing of the budget for 2025/26 just six days before the National Assembly adopts the Appropriations Bill.

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA

This takes place as the second biggest party in the Government of National Unity (GNU), the DA, has threatened not to vote for the budget votes of those ministers they deem are compromised and should be axed from the Cabinet.

The Appropriation Standing Committee is set to adopt its report today ahead of the passing of the bill by the National Assembly on Wednesday, before the bill is sent to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence.

Briefing the Programme Committee yesterday, National Assembly secretary Masibulele Xaso took the chief whips of political parties on the four steps to be followed when the bill is passed next week.

Xaso said once the Standing Committee on Appropriation has submitted its report on the bill, the House will first consider that report and thereafter the bill.

“After the report is considered, we then move to the First Reading of the bill. After the First Reading of the bill, we'll do the departmental votes and after the departmental votes, we then do the schedule.”

Xaso also said if the National Assembly rejected the First Reading of the bill, it rejected the bill.