Democracy Wins in VAT War

Democracy is potentially the winner in the value-added tax (VAT) drama which has recently gripped attention.

- Martin Williams

By setting aside the bungled VAT reversal, the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town has cleared the way for MPs to do their jobs properly when the parliamentary budget process begins afresh.

Let's hope MPs now have a better understanding of what they are doing.

During proceedings, the bench had harsh words for some MPs, singling out ActionSA who "naively thought that its 'strict condition' was going to get even the most basic time of day".

This was a reference to the party imagining it could conditionally support the fiscal framework. That's not how parliament works. If you want changes, you must propose amendments – to be voted on.

Other comments from the bench also suggest ActionSA did not know what they had done, after the event.

When an MP asks for clarity on what he has just voted on, more training is required.