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Some parties have vowed to vote against the bill, while a standoff between GNU partners appears to have simmered.
Image for illustrative purposes. Picture: iStock
Parliamentarians will vote on their own salaries on Wednesday as the House sits to deliberate on the Appropriation Bill.
The bill is the document which authorises government spending, and without it departments cannot perform a host of basic financial actions.
Some parties have vowed to vote against the bill, while a standoff between the primary government of national unity (GNU) partners appears to have simmered.
Reduction to 10% of spending
Chairperson of the Select Committee on Public Accounts, Dr Mmusi Maimane, explained the ramifications of not passing the bill.
In attaining the necessary number of votes, Maimane explained that 201 members of parliament present would constitute a quorum.
From this quorum, a simple majority would be needed to constitute the passing of the bill.
If the Appropriations Bill is not passed, government spending will be reduced to 10% for all national departments.
“There is not a single national department whose salary bill is less than 10%,” Maimane told 702 on Wednesday.
“I am really appealing that the sense of national duty at the moment, such as this one, requires all of us to get this budget through.”
DA end boycott
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party stated that it would not support the Appropriations Bill as it continues its push for a motion of no confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa.
However, the Bill is likely to pass given that the DA ended their boycott of budget processes on Tuesday.
The DA declared a moral victory as President Cyril Ramaphosa replaced higher education and training minister Nobuhle Nkabane with one of her deputies, Buti Manamela.
“The DA will not allow compromised individuals in the executive to paralyse government or harm the people of this country,” the party stated on Tuesday.
“We will use every tool at our disposal in Parliament and in government to protect public money,” it added.
Rize Mzansi stated they would support the bill despite the ultimatums given by rival parties.
“This moment in our politics calls for leadership and maturity, which is sadly lacking, even among some GNU partners who make threats of collapsing both the government and the economy,” the party stated on Wednesday.
NOW READ: Here’s why Zuma’s MK party wants Ramaphosa removed in ‘urgent’ motion of no confidence
