Zalene Merrington

Cape Town

Journalist at SABC News

SABC radio journalist. Noord-Kapenaar. Kilimanjaro summit Sept 2015.

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Articles

ANC meets with several parties over VAT increase impasse

1 week ago | sabcnews.com | Zalene Merrington

The African National Congress (ANC) continues to meet with various political parties in and outside the Government of National Unity (GNU) this weekend in an effort to resolve the impasse around a VAT increase and to find proposals for alternative revenue streams.
Godongwana questions GNU member’s decision to vote against budget

3 weeks ago | sabcnews.com | Zalene Merrington

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has questioned the decision of some Government of National Unity (GNU) members to vote against the 2025 budget, whose implementation they will be part of. Questions are also being raised about the future of the GNU with some saying it is on shaky ground after the Democratic Alliance (DA) voted against the budget. The DA says it will challenge the budget that Members of Parliament passed yesterday.
Political parties divided on Fiscal Framework report adoption

3 weeks ago | sabcnews.com | Zalene Merrington

Several political parties have requested National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to withdraw the Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals report of the Standing Committee on Finance. The report was adopted by the majority of members in the committee last night. It was adopted with recommendations by ActionSA, that Treasury must be given 30 days to come up with alternatives to tax hikes, while scrapping the VAT hike and to adjust personal income tax brackets.
EFF request withdrawal of budget report ahead of parliamentary debate

3 weeks ago | sabcnews.com | Zalene Merrington

The Economic Freedom Fighters(EFF) say they have written to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, requesting for the urgent withdrawal of the report on the 2025 fiscal framework in Parliament this afternoon. On Tuesday, the Standing Committee on Finance adopted its report on the budget that was tabled to the National Assembly last month.
Concerns raised about security vetting of police top brass

3 weeks ago | sabcnews.com | Zalene Merrington

Members of Parliament have again raised concerns about the long time it takes for the security vetting of police top brass to be finalized. This matter was raised recently when SAPS was giving progress made to recommendations made by the police committee, in the Budgetary Review and Recommendation Reports. The security clearance of the top law enforcement officers is a matter of concern to parliamentarians that persists.
Cosatu first to oppose VAT increase in Parliament’s budget hearings

1 month ago | sabcnews.com | Zalene Merrington

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) was the first organisation at the public hearings on the 2025 budget today to call for the removal of Value-Added Tax (VAT) hikes. Parliament’s Joint meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance and Select Committee on Finance are hosting public hearings on the budget that was tabled by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana earlier this month.
Rasool to hand over report on US expulsion to Ramaphosa soon

1 month ago | sabcnews.com | Zalene Merrington

Former South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States (US) Ebrahim Rasool says he will soon hand over his report to President Cyril Ramaphosa. He was expelled from the US after the remarks he made in a webinar linking President Donald Trump to white supremacy. Rasool received a hero’s welcome from members of the African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape and alliance supporters at Cape Town International Airport yesterday. He says he is finalising the report.
We tried engaging Trump administration, on issues affecting SA

1 month ago | sabcnews.com | Zalene Merrington

Expelled US ambassador Ebrahim Rasool says he attempted to engage Washington on issues affecting South Africa but was met with resistance. Rasool and his wife, Rashieda, arrived in Cape Town to a hero’s welcome at Cape Town International Airport, where supporters from the provincial African National Congress (ANC) and its alliance partners gathered at the international arrivals gate.
Godongwana hits back at DA over budget proposal claims

1 month ago | sabcnews.com | Zalene Merrington

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana says the Democratic Alliance (DA) did not submit or present any proposals to him about the budget. Godongwana tabled the 2025 budget in the National Assembly on Wednesday, where he announced a 0.5 percentage point increase in VAT. This, after the budget tabling was postponed last month, due to unhappiness among the Government of National Unity (GNU) partners, ANC included, over a proposed 2% VAT increase.
VAT increase needed to improve frontline services: Godongwana

1 month ago | sabcnews.com | Zalene Merrington

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana says increases may not be the ideal measure but it is an attempt to bring much needed improvement in the delivery of frontline services like health and education. Treasury appeared before the four finance committees of Parliament where MPs could analyse this week’s budget. On Wednesday, Godongwana announced a 0.5 percentage point increase in VAT.