Real test for ANC in budget

EXAMPLE: HOUSEHOLDS' DIFFICULT CHOICES

- Ryk van Niekerk

There's a saying that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. That perfectly describes the ANC's approach to economic policy.

The economy has stagnated for over a decade, yet the government keeps trying the same failed strategies - expecting growth to magically appear.

The numbers tell the story. Since 2010, economic growth has ground to a halt.

South Africa has not grown by more than 2% since 2013. Growth last year was just 0.6%, even worse than during 2023's load shedding disaster. Forecasts for the future suggest that we are still years away from seeing even a modest 2% growth.

Yet instead of making tough decisions to fix the economy, the government is again turning to tax hikes instead of real reform.