South Africa National Assembly Passes 2025 Appropriations Bill

South Africa's Government of National Unity (GNU) successfully passed the 2025-2026 Appropriation Bill after a prolonged and contentious process marked by coalition tensions, particularly involving the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and the Democratic Alliance (DA). The bill, which allocates R1.23 trillion for the fiscal year, ensures continued funding for essential services and avoids a fiscal crisis that could have severely limited government operations from October onward. The process was complicated by the MK Party's inconsistent voting and the DA's initial opposition to the budget over a proposed VAT increase and concerns about departmental leadership, which eased after President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed a controversial ANC minister. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana acknowledged the challenges of navigating budget approvals within the coalition, which is only a year old following three decades of ANC single-party rule. New technical guidelines were released to improve future budget processes with continuous political endorsement. The successful passage of the bill underscores the fragile but functional cooperation between ANC and DA, which is seen as critical for maintaining fiscal responsibility and market confidence amid South Africa’s sluggish economic growth.