Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement: Lower fuel levies the ‘elephant in the room’

Soundbite: Louis Boshoff (English)

Soundbite: Louis Boshoff (Afrikaans)

The entire country is holding its breath to see whether Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana will take action tomorrow to provide relief to consumers amidst sky-high fuel prices. AfriForum believes it is essential that the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) addresses this issue, alongside other measures designed to stimulate economic growth. While petrol and diesel prices in South Africa are currently at an all-time high, the government continues to collect levies amounting to nearly R7,50 on every litre of fuel sold. For this reason, AfriForum has been pressuring Treasury since May of this year to reform this system.

Tax collection from April to August of this year was nearly 8% higher than projected. AfriForum argues that this provides fiscal space for tax relief in critical areas. The organisation also points out that Treasury should, in any case, focus on cutting fruitless state expenditure, thereby creating room for future tax relief.

According to AfriForum Spokesperson Louis Boshoff, this fruitless expenditure includes the recurring bailouts provided to dysfunctional state institutions. “Institutions such as the South African Post Office and the Road Accident Fund urgently need to be reformed or shut down, rather than repeatedly pouring billions of rand into these failing entities,” explains Boshoff. “Taxpayers are currently under such immense pressure that there is absolutely no room for the squandering of funds.”

Another issue that AfriForum believes requires attention tomorrow is the status of the equitable share payments to municipalities – payments that were withheld by Treasury in July in an effort to enforce compliance with legal requirements. Municipal debt is becoming an increasingly significant risk, and it is within the Minister’s authority to demand stricter compliance.

AfriForum also reminds the Minister that these high tax collections are still being drawn entirely from the pockets of a shrinking group of taxpayers. “Every cent that ends up in the state coffers is like blood squeezed from a stone. It is time for the government to show greater appreciation for the country’s taxpayers,” concludes Boshoff.