Efficiency Beats VAT Hike

One of United States President's most controversial executive orders since he began his second term in the White House is establishing the department of government efficiency (Doge) headed by South African-born billionaire Elon Musk.

- Sydney Majoko

Its most controversial action: asking all government employees to send an e-mail listing "the five things I did last week." The sting in the tail was that failure to submit a response would be deemed as a resignation, thus ridding the government of all inefficient employees.

If the idea had been introduced with consideration and foresight regarding sensitive information, it would have been an excellent method to eliminate inefficiency and red tape.

One that if adopted in South Africa, would find that R75 billion Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is looking for through the now cancelled value-added tax increase.

The embarrassing reversal of the 0.5-percentage point VAT hike ratified by a court on a long weekend after Godongwana submitted a letter admitting political defeat to the court hearing the DA and EFF challenge, will go down in history as the moment democracy replaced arrogance in South African politics.