Anc Calls Special Nec Meeting After Da Votes Against Budget's Fiscal Framework

The African National Congress ANC says it will convene a special meeting of its National Executive Committee NEC to deliberate on the way forward following recent developments in Parliament.

The NEC is the partys highest decision-making body between national conferences.

In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the ANC said the special NEC meeting will take place on Monday, 7 April 2025 at 10:00. The venue is not yet confirmed but will be in Gauteng.

The gathering will consider critical matters affecting governance and the national political landscape.

This comes as the Democratic Alliance DA, the second largest party in the government of national unity GNU, voted against the 2025 budgets fiscal framework in Parliament on Wednesday. Freedom Front Plus, another GNU member, also voted no.

Publicly, the DA has opposed an increase in value added tax VAT that was proposed in the budget. It has also filed a court challenge to nullify Parliaments adoption of the fiscal framework and to interdict the increase.

However, ANC leaders have claimed that privately, the DA was prepared to accept the VAT increase in exchange for reversals of other policies such as the Expropriation Act, the National Health Insurance and Basic Education Laws Amendment BELA Act.

The DAs Federal Executive was also set to meet on Thursday to decide whether to stay in the GNU or leave.

In recent days, ANC leaders have said the DA defining itself outside the GNU.

"In the end, I think this may well be a point where it is the end of their participation because they are defining themselves out of the GNU and it will be clear tomorrow Wednesday what decision they take, President Cyril Ramaphosa told the ANC caucus in Parliament on Tuesday.