BUDGET 2026 | Civil society calls for end to ‘austerity budget’

As finance ministerEnoch Godongwanaprepares to table his 2026 budget in parliament on Wednesday, the People Against Budget Cuts coalition is expected to demonstrate just metres away. According to the coalition, they will march to demand an end to austerity measures. The coalition is made up of civil society organisations, trade unions, social movements, and community groups.

“These [austerity measures] have negatively affected our communities. Austerity measures are typically introduced in response to economic crises, in which governments cut spending and reduce public services to balance national budgets. In South Africa these policies have led to job losses, reduced social spending, and wage freezes for public sector workers,” they said.

Austerity is “miles apart from an economic necessity but rather a political choice,” they said. “Essential services such as health care, education and housing remain underfunded, leaving many communities struggling to meet their basic needs.” The call for a people’s budget isn’t just about resisting austerity; it is about creating a future where all South Africans can live with dignity, access to quality public services and economic opportunities They dubbed austerity “a class project” that shifts the burden of the economic crisis onto the poor and the working class, while absolving capital, the wealthy, and multinational corporations of responsibility. In addition, they accuse the government of entrenching austerity, deepening liberalisation, and accelerating privatisation.

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“It is neoliberalism on steroids,” the coalition said on Tuesday. People Against Budget Cuts hope their march will emphasise how austerity measures disproportionately affect the poor, the working class and marginalised groups. “We urge the government to reassess its budget allocations and ensure that economic policies prioritise the needs of the people, not just the elite.

We therefore demand an immediate and decisive break with austerity. We demand a people’s budget — one that invests boldly in jobs, care, climate resilience, social protections and public services.” The group rejects what it deems “ongoing privatisation and commodification of essential services” and urged the government to prioritise people before profits.

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