Top 10 stories of the day: Budget 3.0 date confirmed
News today includes Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana confirming that a new national budget will be presented in parliament on 21 May.
Meanwhile, Advocate Dali Mpofu has dismissed the misconduct charges against him as 'nonsensical' following the postponement of his disciplinary inquiry before the Legal Practice Council.
Furthermore, Afrikaans TV content sees a decline while state broadcaster SABC struggles to pay for the productions.
Weather tomorrow: 1 May 2025
Severe thunderstorms and hail are expected across four provinces on Workers' Day, with warnings for strong winds, dangerous sea conditions along the coast, and icy conditions in the Northern Cape and Western Cape until Friday. Full weather forecast here.
Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way.
Budget 3.0 to be tabled on 21 May — Godongwana confirms
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has confirmed that a new national budget will be presented in parliament on 21 May.
The decision to introduce a revised budget comes in the wake of government's move to abandon the plan by the National Treasury to increase the value-added tax (VAT).
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. Picture: Gallo Images/Die Burger/Jaco Marais
The original proposal aimed to raise VAT by 0.5% starting on 1 May 2025, followed by an additional 0.5% hike in the 2026/2027 financial year.
The plan was intended to bolster government revenue, but it faced significant public and political resistance due to concerns over the potential impact on the cost of living and economic inequality.
CONTINUE READING: Budget 3.0 to be tabled on 21 May — Godongwana confirms
'They should be embarrassed': Mpofu slams charges as disciplinary hearing postponed
Advocate Dali Mpofu has dismissed the misconduct charges against him as 'nonsensical' following the postponement of his disciplinary inquiry before the Legal Practice Council (LPC).
The legal practitioner was scheduled to appear on Wednesday before an independent disciplinary committee at the LPC's offices in Pretoria.
Advocate Dali Mpofu at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on 20 March 2024. Picture: Gallo Images/Darren Stewart
Mpofu faced seven charges of misconduct, including matters involving former public protector Thuli Madonsela and Chief Justice Mandisa Maya.
Speaking to the media after the postponement, Mpofu described the inquiry as 'a mighty waste of our time'.
CONTINUE READING: 'They should be embarrassed': Mpofu slams charges as disciplinary hearing postponed
Afrikaans TV content dwindles amid SABC cash crunch
State broadcaster SABC doesn't seem to have a vendetta against the Afrikaans language – but is so broke it cannot pay for the productions.
One of the Afrikaans shows, Voetspore, could soon face the axe.
One of SABC's Afrikaans shows, Voetspore, could soon face the axe. Picture: Supplied.
Earlier this month, Afrikaners saw red when the SABC failed to broadcast the Afrikaans news on the first weekend of the month due to technical issues.
CONTINUE READING: Afrikaans TV content dwindles amid SABC cash crunch
Ramaphosa launches commission of inquiry into apartheid-era justice delays
President Cyril Ramaphosa is establishing a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate attempts to prevent the investigation or prosecution of apartheid-era crimes referred by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
The commission will probe allegations of improper influence in delaying or hindering the investigation and prosecution of crimes referred by the TRC to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
'Allegations of improper influence in delaying or hindering the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes have persisted from previous administrations,' the Presidency said in a statement on Wednesday.
CONTINUE READING: Ramaphosa launches commission of inquiry into apartheid-era justice delays
2025 budget: Godongwana refuses to resign as Mbalula warns against another 'weekend special'
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has made it clear he has no plans to step down, despite mounting pressure and calls for his resignation following the 2025 budget impasse.
Godongwana announced at a media briefing on Wednesday that a third revised budget will be tabled in Parliament on 21 May.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tables 2025 Budget Speech at the Nieuwmeester Dome in Cape Town on 12 March. Picture: X / @ParliamentofRSA
This follows a court ruling that reversed the recently proposed value-added tax (VAT) increase.
CONTINUE READING: 2025 budget: Godongwana refuses to resign as Mbalula warns against another 'weekend special'
Here are five more stories of the day:
Yesterday's News recap
READ HERE: Top 10 stories of the day: Three missing cops found dead | Easter fatalities down | Wydad confirm Rulani exit
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
8 hours ago
- IOL News
Call for ministerial accountability over 8,000 jobs lost to customs 'loophole'
The LSF report found that Shein and Temu generated R7.3 billion in sales over the period, capturing 3.6% of South Africa's R-CTFL retail market and a staggering 37% of its online sales. Actions SA says it has formally requested the urgent appearance of the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, and the SARS Commissioner, Edward Kieswetter, before Parliament. This comes after a new report by the Localisation Support Fund (LSF), which looked at the effect of offshore e-commerce retailers on South Africa's clothing, textile, footwear, and leather (R-CTFL) industry, found that fast-growing Chinese online retailers Shein and Temu may have cost the country more than 8,000 potential jobs over the past four years. "Between 2020 and 2024, Shein and Temu made use of the 'de minimis' rule, which allowed parcels valued under R500 to enter the country with a flat 20% customs duty and no VAT," the party said. "These companies deliberately broke up large orders into multiple low-value parcels to benefit from this rule, while local retailers and importers were paying up to 45% duty and 15% VAT on similar goods. For four years, the government allowed this practice to continue while local manufacturers and retailers bore the consequences".
TimesLIVE
a day ago
- TimesLIVE
Activist Palesa Musa reflects on youth in prison after 1976
A year shy of the youth uprising's 50th anniversary, political activist Palesa Musa reflects on the role she and others played in South Africa's liberation struggle, particularly during the pivotal year of the 1976 Soweto uprising. At the age of 12, she was part of the historic student march that led to the death of more than 100 pupils protesting against the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction. Graffiti pictured above honours Musa and other former detainees outside Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. Musa stands at the women's jail where she was put in a cell with eight other inmates from the age of 12 until she was 18 years old. Musa recalls a historic apple tree, which still stands today, where she and fellow inmates would secretly pluck fruit during their detention in the 1970s. The spot also served as a makeshift church, where prisoners would gather for worship in a courtyard at Constitution Hill. Pictured below is the cloth used by female prisoners during their menstrual cycles as they were not provided with proper underwear. Musa, who was a minor at the time, recalls the humiliating experience of her fellow inmates who were subjected to random inspections by prison officers. The inspections involved invasive and degrading checks to verify whether they were menstruating. Below are cleaning materials used by black prisoners in the women's jail, where they would clean the floors to make sure they were shiny. Musa remembers the communal shower where she and fellow female inmates were allowed to bathe only once a month. Despite the rare opportunity for hygiene, the experience was humiliating as they faced mockery from other inmates.
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
SASSA payment dates for September 2025: What you need to know
SASSA payment dates for September 2025: What you need to know South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) beneficiaries can start preparing for the upcoming September 2025 grant payments. Here are the official payment dates for September: Old Age Grant: Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Disability Grant: Wednesday, September 3, 2025 All other SASSA grants (including child grants): Thursday, September 4, 2025 SASSA has reminded beneficiaries to avoid rushing to collection points on the first day, as funds will remain available in their accounts until they are needed. For any queries or assistance regarding your grant, contact the SASSA toll-free line at 0800 60 10 11 or visit your nearest SASSA office. All social grants, barring the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, increased in April this year. Delivering the 2025 Budget Speech in Parliament earlier this year, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana stated that the number of social grant beneficiaries – excluding those receiving the SRD grant – was expected to rise to around 19 million in 2025/26 and 19.3 million in 2027/28 due to a growing population of older persons. Godongwana said that for 2025/26, social grants were allocated approximately R284.7 billion. 'As announced by the President in the State of the Nation Address, the SRD was to be used as a basis for the introduction of a sustainable form of income support for unemployed people. 'The future form and nature of the SRD would be informed by the outcome of the review of active labour market programmes, which was expected to be completed by September 2025. 'The truth was that ours was one of the most comprehensive social safety nets among emerging economies. This reflected our commitment to addressing poverty and inequality, while keeping our spending sustainable,' he said. The grant increases that took effect in April were: Old age grant: increased from R2185 to R2315 War veterans grant: increased from R2205 to R2335 Disability grant: increased from R2185 to R2315 Foster care grant: increased from R1180 to R1250 Care dependency grant: increased from R2185 to R2315 Child support grant: increased from R530 to R560 Grant-in-aid: increased from R530 to R560 In the Budget Review, National Treasury stated that the budget for social grants was increased by R8.2 billion over the medium term to account for higher living costs. 'An amount of R35.2 billion was allocated to extend the payment at the current SRD rate of R370 per month per beneficiary, including administration costs,' the department said. Also read: Is there an outbreak of Staphylococcus in Pretoria? Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
