Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane has reiterated his party’s commitment to collaborating with other political factions to amend the fiscal framework and eliminate the VAT increase in the 2025/26 Budget.

Addressing the media in Parliament, Maimane said a solution must be found by the parties working on adjusting the Budget.

“We stand ready to work with all parties that are committed to a credible, inclusive, and growth-oriented Budget. There is no time for political theatrics, no time for us to play games and say one said this and this one goes to court,” Maimane said.

He made the statement hours before his party was to attend a meeting with the ANC and other Government of National Unity (GNU) parties that voted in support of the fiscal framework last week.

Maimane defended their vote for the fiscal framework last week, saying it would have been a disaster had it not gone through.

“It literally means that you deal with a country without a Budget.”

He said their proposals to be tabled at the meeting with other parties came with a number of conditions.

BOSA deputy leader Nobuntu Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster said BOSA was clear that the reversal of VAT increase and tax creep has to happen.

Hlazo-Webster also said one of their conditions was a full review of government expenditure to identify areas where cuts could be made.

BOSA wants departments with overlapping mandates to be streamlined and vanity projects to be scrapped to redirect funds towards education, health, infrastructure, and job creation.

“There needs to be adoption of national growth charter to drive jobs. We still have an incredibly high unemployment rate close to 40%. We need to be able to attract investment and create jobs,” Hlazo-Webster said.

Maimane said they have identified close to R180 billion in new revenue that can be sourced.

Their plan identified a ramp-up of National Empowerment Fund spending, the introduction of a 6% sin tax on online gambling, scrapping the Employment Tax Incentive, freezing middle and senior management hiring in government, rationalising diplomatic missions, and cutting VIP protection for politicians, among others.

Maimane said the instability within the GNU must be resolved soon and quite urgently.

“What we need is a government that acts as a unitary voice. We must settle whatever the impasse and we must decide on a government that is stable,” he added.

Asked if BOSA would join the GNU, Hlazo-Webster said her party had been clear from the start regarding the coalition as there had been no roadmap where South Africa was going.

“Until such a roadmap is there, that is one of the things we would want to engage on,” she said.

Maimane added that there was an appetite across all parties to find workable solutions by parties that have remained inside the GNU and not become excited about court action.

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BOSA's R180bn plan to reverse the VAT hike