DA plunges ANC into crisis mode once again

Billions of rands in government expenditure frozen

- By Mandisa Nyathi

The ANC is scrambling for a lifeline from smaller parties in Parliament after the DA once again pulled the rug out from under its coalition partner - this time by torpedoing critical budget votes in Parliament.

With the DA refusing to back key departmental allocations because President Cyril Ramaphosa axed its trade, industry, and competition deputy minister, Andrew Whitfield, the ANC now faces a governance emergency, forced to desperately court smaller parties to salvage the 2025 Appropriation Bill and avert a shutdown of government spending.

Billions of rands in government expenditure are frozen after the National Assembly rejected four departmental budgets, including those for public works and infrastructure, higher education, and human settlements.

The failure, sparked by the DA's dramatic withdrawal of support, has not only deepened rifts within the government of national unity (GNU) but left the ANC scrambling for the numbers to keep the state functioning.

The parliamentary impasse is immediate and severe: All 42 departmental allocations listed in Schedule 1 of the Appropriation Bill must be passed individually by a majority of MPs. A legal opinion from Parliament's Constitutional and Legal Services Office has made it clear that even one failed vote dooms the entire budget schedule.