MK Party warns of mass marches if VAT is hiked

By Akani Nkuna

MK Party leaders warned during a march on the Treasury and the SA Reserve Bank in Pretoria on Monday that if the government increased VAT in the Budget, they would consider bringing the country to a standstill.

“If the government of GNU goes ahead with a VAT increase, which harms the poor and already financially burdened citizens, we will organise a national protest with all our members from all over the country,” said the convenor of the party’s National High Command deployees to Gauteng, Luther Lebelo.

“This march is just a warm-up and serves as a warning to the government. They dare not try us because we have the numbers and might to shut down the country against exploitation.”

Lebelo emphasised that they recognised the immense challenges of confronting a government that prioritised the interests of capital over the needs of the poor, however, they were determined