Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party leader, Julius Malema says he does not believe that the budget that will be tabled by Godongwana this week, will provide a solution to the country’s unemployment rate.

This, as the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is set to table budget 3.0 which will not include a VAT hike.

The EFF marched to national Treasury to celebrating the halting of the 0.5% point VAT increase.

“On Wednesday, we’re going to listen to another lie, there will not be a plan to create jobs. There will not be a plan to grow the economy. There won’t be money to give to Transnet, there won’t be money to give to state-owned enterprises. They want to privatise them so we can be unemployed.”

♦️In Pictures♦️

The EFF Leadership led by the President and Commander in Chief @Julius_S_Malema, marched from the Union Buildings to National Treasury in the #VATVictoryMarch—celebrating the scrapping of the VAT hike and warning Minister Godongwana to deliver a pro-poor budget.… pic.twitter.com/hB1tDrWJtx

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) May 19, 2025

South Africa’s unemployment rate surges to 32.9%. According to Stats SA, 291 000 people lost jobs in the first quarter of this year, deepening the crisis. The labour force contracted despite a growing working-age population, leaving 25.1 million South Africans competing for limited jobs.

Budget 2025 | EFF leads VAT Victory March in Pretoria