EFF leader Julius Malema has thrown down the gauntlet, calling for the immediate firing of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Treasury director-general Duncan Pieterse.
The red beret leader made the call during a media briefing Sunday at the party’s Winnie Madikizela-Mandela House headquarters in Johannesburg. This follows the Western Cape High Court’s decision a day earlier to scrap the Treasury’s planned 0.5% VAT hike — a move Malema says highlights “gross incompetence” at the top.
“These individuals have proven themselves incapable of formulating a lawful, credible, and developmental Budget,” Malema said.
Beyond the fiery rhetoric, Malema also unveiled a bold nine-point plan he believes could fix South Africa’s revenue crisis — without burdening the country’s poor.
Malema to ANC: Fire Godongwana — or lose power
Malema warned President Cyril Ramaphosa that failure to act could trigger political upheaval. He confirmed the EFF’s willingness to support a Democratic Alliance (DA)-sponsored motion of no confidence to remove Ramaphosa.
Crucially, the EFF would abstain from electing a replacement, potentially paving the way for DA leader John Steenhuisen to become president.
“We’ll remove Ramaphosa — but we won’t install a DA president,” Malema warned.
9 Ways Julius Malema says treasury can fix revenue
The DA and EFF had earlier approached the court to overturn the Treasury’s planned VAT increase, which was set to take effect on May 1, 2025.
The VAT rate was scheduled to rise from 15% to 15.5%, but mounting political and public pressure forced Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to abandon the proposal.
At the EFF’s press briefing, Malema outlined nine key interventions he believes can plug South Africa’s fiscal shortfall without deepening poverty:
- Reject the VAT hike
Protect low-income households from additional financial strain. - Raise personal income tax brackets by 4.5%
Shift the tax burden slightly toward higher earners. - Increase corporate income tax
Raise the rate from 27% to 28.5% in 2025, and 30.5% in 2026 to boost business contributions. - Introduce a wealth tax on luxury and underutilised land
Unlock value from idle assets owned by the wealthy. - Implement an apartheid wealth tax
Target trusts and assets accumulated before 1994. - Levy an annual tax on inherited wealth
Tackle generational inequality through progressive taxation. - Allocate an additional R4 billion to SARS
Strengthen tax enforcement and improve collection rates. - Combat illicit financial flows
Recover billions lost to illegal outflows and unpaid taxes. - Launch a R512 billion infrastructure stimulus
Invest over three years to drive job creation and economic growth.
Malema maintains these reforms would fund development, create jobs, and restore fiscal health — all without further squeezing ordinary citizens.
ALSO READ: ANC Seeks EFF Alliance to Pass VAT increase as DA Opposes Hike
What’s next for South Africa?
With elections looming and political alliances shifting, Malema’s hardline stance signals that the EFF plans to play kingmaker — or spoiler — in 2025.
Whether the ANC listens remains to be seen, but the battle lines are drawn.
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