The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has strongly criticised the 2025 Fiscal Framework tabled by the Minister of Finance, saying the so-called Government of National Unity (GNU) has failed to deliver a budget that meets the needs of the South African people.
In an official press statement dated 5 June 2025, the MK Party — now the official opposition in Parliament — described the GNU’s economic approach as “profoundly out of touch”, especially in the face of deepening poverty, record-high unemployment, and growing inequality.
“This budget is a direct betrayal of the socio-economic rights of the people. It entrenches neoliberalism and prioritises global capital over the poor,” the statement said.
South Africa’s Unemployment Crisis Worsens
The MK Party’s response highlights alarming figures:
- Overall unemployment: 43.1%
- Youth unemployment: 72.4%
- Unemployment among African women: 51.7%
According to the party, the 2025 GNU budget failed to propose meaningful solutions to address the crisis. It accuses the ANC-DA coalition of prioritising investor confidence over the constitutional rights of the majority.
MK Party Proposes Radical Amendments to Budget
To counter what it calls “short-term market optics,” the MK Party submitted a set of transformative amendments to the Standing Committee on Finance (SCOF), aimed at achieving true economic liberation:
- Public Investment for Jobs and Growth
- Aggressive investment in infrastructure, public services, and industrialisation
- Goal: 1.6 million jobs per year
- Target: Full employment by 2036
- Permanent, Living-Wage Jobs
- Formalisation of the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) and EPWP
- Shift from temporary job schemes to decent, permanent employment
- Wealth and Inheritance Tax
- Replace regressive levies like VAT and fuel tax
- Ensure the wealthy pay their fair share to fund national development
No Austerity Needed: Reallocate Existing Surpluses
To fund these proposals, the MK Party suggests reallocating R1.17 trillion in existing state funds:
- R392 billion from the GFECRA (Gold & Foreign Exchange Reserves)
- R140 billion from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF)
- R645 billion from the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF)
MK Party Rejects the DA/ANC Coalition
The statement goes on to denounce the DA/ANC coalition, calling it “reactionary” and “anti-poor.”
“We call on all South Africans to oppose this DA/ANC coalition and unite for genuine freedom and dignity. The MK Party remains the only credible, radical, and revolutionary alternative to the current political establishment.”
