A Budget Speech in Desperate Times

19 February 2025
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

A Budget Speech in Desperate Times

When the minister of finance takes the podium to deliver his budget speech today he will be addressing a nation of desperate people.

The majority of our people are impoverished. Rates of hunger are sky high. The rates of unemployment, inequality and violence in our country are among the worst in the world. Even the middle classes are going without water these days, and roads, hospitals, schools, libraries, parks and whole city centres are all falling apart before our eyes. Years of austerity, kleptocracy and mismanagement have left the country broken.

Even the suburbs are decaying, and for most people life outside of the gated residential complexes, office parks and malls is desperate. In the shack settlements and townships young people are wandering around with nothing to do. They are walking in the streets aimlessly like strollers.

As we speak, many young people who have passed their matric despite the crisis in our schools are unable to further their studies. Many of those who have been given places at universities and TVET colleges are struggling for accommodation. Many are still waiting for financial aid. Our youth have lost all hope in our government. Most have lost all hope in all political parties.

There is no work and depression and anxiety are rampant. People are increasingly numbing their pain with alcohol, heroin and other drugs, and turning on each other. Some are joining the gangs that prey on society. Poverty is being criminalised and the poor are being policed with increasing and sometimes militarised violence.

More violence from the state and private security is not the solution. Violence can never resolve a social crisis. Building a decent and just society in which the lives and dignity of all people are valued is the only way to resolve the social crisis.

With almost no economic growth year after year and relentless austerity, which is just a polite way of describing brutal cuts to social spending, we are in a frightening spiral of decline.

Now that there is a real threat from Trump’s fascistic government against the longstanding American support for the health care system to provide care for people living with HIV and AIDS there may soon be a massive hole in the health care budget. Many people who are kept alive and healthy by ARVs are suffering a lot of stress and despair as they face Trump’s cruelty. A lot of people who are on this treatment will be going through depression. It is imperative that the finance minister must find money to sustain the treatment and care programme for people living with HIV and AIDS. We cannot be dependent on a man as cruel and racist as Trump.

We are living in desperate times and Minister Godongwana must provide a budget that will give hope to everyone, including the poor in shack settlements and in the rural areas. It is time for the super-rich to give up some of their privileges for those who go to sleep without food. Taxing the rich for the benefit of the poor will be welcomed by our movement.

At the same time corruption needs to be decisively dealt with so that public wealth is used for the public good. We need massive investment in schools, universities, hospitals, housing and psychological and rehab services. We need massive investment in building peace and safety. We need massive investment in our cities. We need, above all, massive investment in our people.

In the urgency of this desperate crisis the SRD grant must begin to pave the way for a universal basic income grant and land must be allocated for people to grow food and markets established for people to buy and sell food. There must be support for grassroots cooperatives and communes. Young people must be offered work in public works projects. These kinds of measures will begin to instil confidence and hope for the poor.
More austerity can only lead to more suffering, more decay of our institutions and infrastructure and more violence. There are alarming rumours that the health and education budgets will be cut, and that VAT, always an anti-poor tax, will be increased.

Austerity and regressive taxes must be opposed.

Desperate times call for bold, creative and decisive measures, measures in the interests of the people.

We also take this opportunity to express our solidarity with the people of Palestine, who continue to be attacked by Israel, the people of the Congo who continue to be attacked by Rwanda and the friends, family and comrades of Imam Muhsin Hendricks. As always, an injury to one is an injury to all.

Contact:

Thapelo Mohapi 084 576 5117
Mqapheli Bonono 073 067 3274
Snenhlanhla Mncanyana 073 832 3331