LETTER: Jury out on DA’s principles

The DA’s vote in support of the Appropriation Bill presumably reflects the party’s belief that it is the fiscal recipe for real economic growth, a meaningful decrease in unemployment, a reduction of our crippling national debt and a downsizing of the government sector — including the bloated cabinet (“GNU secures first-round approval for Appropriation Bill amid internal fault lines”, July 23).

It also means it trusts the budget will unleash desperately needed foreign and domestic investment free from the current political and administrative obstacles. This outcome would certainly be welcome, a huge confidence builder for those who see the private sector as the engine of economic growth in a stable political and socioeconomic environment. 

It would be of deep concern if the DA has based its vote on political expediency, some sort of reward for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s long overdue removal of a compromised and deceitful member of the executive, or as a tactic to remain in the government of national unity. To exercise a vote on these grounds would indicate that political manoeuvring overrides principle. 

The DA may believe a vote for an underwhelming, deficient budget is the “better of two evils” in the short term, but it condemns our country to countless years of living on the proverbial fiscal cliff, national debt defaults, underfunded and undersupplied basic service delivery — including health and education — increased taxation for the few who do actually pay tax, unemployment induced social unrest and a 1985 Rubicon-type exodus of international enterprises. 

I hope the DA gives the public the full rationale for its vote on this budget. 

David Gant

Kenilworth

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