The term “unity” in the government of national unity (GNU) has, in recent weeks, begun to feel more aspirational than descriptive. What was initially celebrated as a pragmatic coalition aimed at economic stability and effective governance, is revealing deeper fault lines — culminating most recently in a courtroom standoff between its two leading parties.
South Africans, however, had a reason to exhale when the proposed 2% VAT increase was scaled down to 0.5% and ultimately scrapped. On the surface, this reversal appears consumer-friendly. For a household with a monthly budget of R10,000, a 0.5% hike could have meant an extra R50 in expenses — amounting to R600 annually. In a time of stagnant wages and rising costs, this relief is anything but trivial...
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