Municipal crisis: mismanagement threatens service delivery and financial stability
Recent reports and the Budget Overview expose deep flaws in local government, prompting urgent calls for debt reforms and stricter accountability.
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R2bn Ithala guarantee sparks row over fiscal risk to KZN
The Minister of Finance’s bailout plan for Ithala’s retail depositors has drawn sharp criticism from KZN’s Finance MEC Francois Rodgers, who warns the deal’s fine print could leave the province footing a hefty bill.
Tight-lipped Treasury braces for tough Budget to plug R75bn shortfall
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana won’t reveal where the spending cuts or savings will come from but says South Africa must “do more with less”.
Coalition politics hampered Budget consensus, says Godongwana
South Africa’s credibility among investors and ratings agencies will depend on whether the government meets the fiscal targets it has set, says Treasury.
VAT hike halted – but legal uncertainty keeps SA on fiscal edge
Tax specialist Louis Botha answers pressing questions about the suspended VAT increase and its broader implications for budget-making power and taxpayer rights.
Budget 3.0 coming after court-backed VAT suspension and new Rates Bill
SARS tells vendors there is now no legal basis for them to charge consumers VAT of 15.5% from 1 May.
Ithala’s fate hangs in the balance amid legal battles and funding disputes
Ithala depositors remain locked out of their funds while disputes over frozen accounts, strategic alliances, and government guarantees deepen.
Godongwana given 30 days to revise Budget after VAT reversal
The ANC and the DA present South Africans with different versions of what led to the decision to halt the increase.
Godongwana says VAT court challenge is politics in legal clothing
The finance minister defends the VAT hike as an urgent fiscal necessity, warning that suspending it could blow a R13.5bn hole in the Budget.
SIU denies leaking report implicating RAF CEO in R79m lease deal
While the SIU distances itself from the leak, unanswered questions remain about why a lease allegedly approved by Treasury and audited without findings is now under scrutiny.
Retirement pot withdrawals could undermine long-term savings
Danie van Zyl of Sanlam Corporate Investments warns that allowing access to retirement components in retrenchment cases might jeopardise long-term savings and place added pressure on trustees.
Experts warn reversing VAT increase may be impractical
Once implemented on 1 May, undoing the VAT hike could prove nearly impossible. Even if Parliament later votes against the Rates and Monetary Amounts Bill, the logistics of refunding the collected VAT present formidable challenges.
AML/CFT | Strict enforcement will be the new normal
The need to get South Africa off the grey list has seen the FSCA beefing up its supervisory and licensing capacities.
Proposal to tweak ‘bona fide inadvertent error’ in favour of SARS
The move will limit taxpayer defences that rely solely on claiming an unintentional mistake.
FSCA discloses approach to regulating a rapidly changing financial sector
Unathi Kamlana says the Authority will support the integration of advanced technologies and strengthen frameworks for consumer protection, cyber resilience, and financial inclusion.
Godongwana reassures Ithala’s depositors with R2bn guarantee
The minister’s address to the FSCA conference also touched on regulation, South Africa’s G20 presidency, political tensions over the Budget, and economic growth.
Treasury and SASSA granted leave to appeal ruling on SRD grant
‘Due to the complexity and seriousness of this case … it deserves the attention of the Supreme Court of Appeal,’ says Judge Leonard Twala.
