By Thapelo Molefe
Build One South Africa (BOSA) has called on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to scrap the government’s R2 billion annual VIP protection budget and redirect the money to critical public services such as education, healthcare, and policing.
The party’s spokesperson, Roger Solomons, made the appeal ahead of Godongwana’s delivery of the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in Parliament on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Solomons said the mid-term budget provides government with “a vital opportunity to course-correct what isn’t working” and reallocate funds to sectors that can drive growth and protect the most vulnerable citizens.
“Given the current economic strain, South Africa cannot afford unnecessary bureaucratic spending. These funds should be redirected towards essential services and infrastructure development,” Solomons said.
BOSA painted a bleak picture of the country’s fiscal position, warning that South Africa is “walking a tight fiscal rope,” with little room to manoeuvre between social spending, high taxation, and rising debt-service costs.
The party said that for every R100 spent by government, over R60 goes to the social wage and R20 to paying off national debt, leaving minimal fiscal space to fund growth initiatives.
Solomons criticised the Government of National Unity (GNU), which has been in place for 16 months, saying it has “failed to produce any standout flagship achievement” and has instead been “characterised by political infighting, blurred accountability, and a lack of delivery”.
“While politicians squabble over positions and power, South Africans continue to shoulder the burden of rising costs, poor service delivery, and an economy stuck in neutral,” Solomons said.
The party said any spending cuts in the upcoming budget should spare key social sectors. BOSA warned against reports that education subsidies may be reduced and that policing budgets could remain stagnant.
“Classrooms are overcrowded, hospitals and clinics are understaffed and face material shortages, and our streets are the playgrounds for criminals and gangsters. To grow the economy requires a stable society,” Solomons said.
BOSA outlined a series of measures it believes could save billions and improve fiscal efficiency.
The measures include abolishing the R2 billion VIP protection budget for politicians, dissolving the Department of Small Business Development and integrating its functions into the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition to save an estimated R2.4 billion; eliminating the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation to save around R1 billion, and scrapping Deputy Minister positions, which could save R500 million annually.
Solomons said these savings could be redirected to employ more teachers, nurses, and police officers which are areas where service delivery remains under severe pressure.
To boost revenue, BOSA reiterated its call for the introduction of a 6% national “sin tax” on online gambling, saying that such companies should contribute fairly, similar to alcohol and tobacco industries.
The proposed tax would extend the 6% horseracing levy to all online betting platforms, introduce a 10–15% withholding tax on large gambling winnings, and earmark a portion of gambling revenues for youth upliftment, prevention, and rehabilitation programmes.
The party also called for redirecting R15 billion in SETA funds to basic education and for reviewing the mandates of more than 700 state-owned entities, scrapping those that add “little value”.
The party voiced strong support for a dedicated infrastructure development fund to stimulate economic activity and job creation.
It further proposed the creation of township manufacturing hubs and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in every township to unlock local entrepreneurship and industrial potential.
“Our townships have untapped potential to become centres of production and innovation,” Solomons said.
Solomons urged the GNU to abandon “lip service” and adopt fiscally responsible, growth-oriented policies.
“This year must mark a break from tried and failed strategies. The GNU cannot spend its way to prosperity without reform, nor can it tax the country to growth when South Africans are already overburdened,” he said.
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