ANC pours cold water on MK Party's call for AG to probe ditched Budget speech

A SPECIAL forensic audit into the aborted 2025 national budget speech would be tantamount to fruitless expenditure, says the ANC.

This was in response to uMkhonto weSizwe Party's (MKP) Chief Whip Mzwanele Manyi’s letter to the AG, Tsakani Maluleke, calling for a full forensic audit into the aborted February 2025 Budget Speech.

He also wanted the office of the AG to determine whether postponing the budget did not amount to fruitless and wasteful expenditure. 

The speech had to be postponed on February 19 despite parliament having made all necessary preparations for the Budget to be delivered, with various parties, including the DA, halting the budget due to a disagreement over the increase of Value Added Tax (VAT). 

The aborted budget speech is believed to have cost taxpayers R2.3 million.

"This debacle is yet another glaring example of the so-called Government of National Unity's (GNU) failure to govern responsibly," Manyi said.

“The failure to table the budget represents an unprecedented governance failure, yet millions of rands were already spent on preparatory processes that yielded no outcome. We call on your office to urgently investigate and quantify expenditures, which now constitute fruitless and wasteful spending,” the letter to the AG reads.

The party identified specific expenditures that they believe should be investigated, including logistical costs for an undelivered speech, including venue arrangements and security deployment, printing and promotional materials.

Imraan Subrathie, the ANC Study Group on Standing Committee on Auditor-General Whip and MP, said the request did not warrant a special audit, as the information requested could be reported by the National Treasury and respective organs of state through the Auditor-General South Africa's (AGSA) annual auditing of public institutions.

"The request made by the MK Party is frivolous and will lead to the organs of state incurring additional audit fees expenditure as an audit comes at a cost," Subrathie said. 

The AGSA on Tuesday confirmed receipt of the MKP's letter saying that it will consider the request and respond in writing after following its regulatory requirements and due process. 

AGSA spokesperson Harold Maloka said the office conducts annual regularity audits of government departments and Parliament, reporting any material irregularities publicly.

Finance minister Enoch Godongwana is expected to table a third version of the Budget on May 21 following an agreement within the GNU regarding the scrapping of the VAT increase.

Cape Times