ANCWL Statement on National Budget 2017/18

The African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) has noted the National Budget speech 2017/18 delivered by the Minister of Finance on the 22nd February 2017. Regrettably there are incoherences between the SONA by the President and the budget speech by the Minister and we are hoping that this incoherence will not trickle down to various departments who are responsible for implemenation of government programmes. This will be a direct sabotage to the radical socio-economic transformation agenda of the ANC led government.

The ANCWL's remarks on the speech are on the following issues:

1. Financial sector

The speech was delivered few days after Competition Commission reported on massive corruption done by some of the banks. Very disappointing that the Minister did not delve deeper into the corruption of the banking cartels and this will fit the narrative that the ANC-led government is lenient on fraud and corruption by corporates. The soft gloves treatment of cartels has to stop with immediate effect.

The ANCWL's call is that the banks who are guilty of corruption must have their operating licences revoked, criminal charges laid against their Boards and Executives and be fined 100% of commission earned out of the corrupt acts. Government must stop doing business with banks charged with corruption with immediate effect.

The ANCWL has noted that there are three new banking licences that have been granted. Whilst this is welcomed as a right step towards demonopolising the banking sector, the ANCWL's interest is on the gender disaggregation on the ownership of those new banks. Any new entrant in the banking sector not having 50%+ women ownership in particular black does not address our call for economic emancipation of black women.

2. Economic transformation

The ANCWL welcomes acknowledgement that 95% of the wealth is in the hands of 10% percent of the population which is the minority race. As the women’s league, we are deeply disappointed that government has set aside only 30% for black businesses and 70% will be for white owned businesses. This does not reflect any intention of radically transforming the economic patterns and redressing the economic imbalances of the past. Anything below 50%+ will not level the playing fields in terms of business.

3. Tax administration and nets 

a) Administration

The ANCWL applauds the ANC-led government with its good tax administration system implemented by South African Revenue Services (SARS).The appointment of capable leadership at SARS is yielding positive results. Under the leadership of Commissioner Tom Moyane and his collective, SARS has been performing exceptionally well and that is applauded.

b) Tax nets

Due to patriarchal salary scales and chauvinistic attitude of excluding women from participating in labour market women are likely to make up smaller proportion of contributors to the economy through paying tax however that does not erode their importance in contributing to the economy as taxpayers.

The ANCWL welcomes the tax nets for 2017/18 but highly disappointed on Corporate tax. Corporates in SA have been maximising their profits for their shareholders and executives at the expense of the poor and the working class. There must be substantial increase on Corporate tax

4.  Education and Health

Access to education and quality health care are critical in building a society free from gender oppression.

a) Higher education

The ANCWL applauds the ANC-led government for its intervention to help children of the poor and working class to access Higher education. We call on government to ensure that all children from the poor families get assisted for them to access higher education.  Decommercialisation of higher education will have positive impact in addressing inequality, unemployment and poverty.

The ANCWL calls for Fees Commission to speedily conclude it's work and provides government with proposals on how to implement free higher education in 2018. Provision of free higher education for the poor cannot be subjected to boardroom talks any further.

b) Provision of sanitary towels for girl learners

The ANCWL calls for supply of sanitary towels to all girls learners in public schools. Girl learners from poor households cannot afford the costs of sanitary pads. The ANC led government must distribute free sanitary towels and free condoms. Government must assist in establishing black women owned businesses that will produce the much needed sanitary towels and government has to procure from those businesses.

c) National Health Insurance scheme

The snail pace implementation of the National Health Insurance is worrisome and we hope there will be progress in 2017. The ANC led government must also intensify recruitment of health personnel for the public health facilities and resource those facilities with the necessary equipment. There is slack of security in various public health facilities and that compromises safety of health personnel in particular women in those facilities.

The focus of the ANC led government is radical socio-economic transformation and that must not be watered down by anyone to please rating agencies, white monopoly capital and it's agents.

The ANC leads the agenda of improving the lives of the economically marginalised, unemployment and poor South Africans which the majority of them are women and the youth.

Statement issued by Meokgo Matuba, Secretary General of the ANCWL, 23 February 2017