Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has claimed that the Democratic Alliance is only publicly fighting against VAT increase in an attempt to reverse the Expropriation Act.
Ntshavheni said this during the post-cabinet briefing in Parliament, Cape Town on Thursday.
She said the VAT opposition by their GNU partners is not in the interest of the impoverished. It is rather a political matter.
All parties signed on the VAT increase
“South Africans should not be fooled when the DA says they are opposing VAT increase. No, everybody has signed on the VAT increase and said we should mitigate. And such, those things that we said should be done, have been done.
“Now the DA wants to hold the country [at] ransom because they want to reverse the Expropriation Act. That would [be] the fundamental sin to the struggle to free South Africa,” said Ntshavheni.
She emphasised that the struggle for a free South Africa is focused on the basis of access to land. As well as the denial of the majority to access land.
She said the DA knows that the Expropriation Act will be carried out in line with the constitution.
DA using VAT increase to fight against BELA, NHI
Ntshavheni highlighted that the DA was using the proposed VAT increase to fight against other acts. All the acts that they have never supported, including the BELA Act and the NHI. The latter being a health financing system which is meant to ensure that South Africans have access to basic and quality healthcare.
“Their issue with VAT is because they are always interested in making sure that we do not achieve the transformation gains this country has set themselves to. It is about politics.
“This is about the BELA Act that seeks to make sure that children have access to schooling, and in the areas in which they reside. It is about BELA that makes sure that children have access to early childhood development learning,” said Ntshavheni.
