No VAT Hike or Else”: MK Party Threatens Mass Protests - iAfrica

No VAT Hike or Else”: MK Party Threatens Mass ProtestsMarch 10, 2025March 10, 2025NEWS, South Africa1 min readThe uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party is drawing a line in the sand: if the government raises value-added tax (VAT), they’ll bring South Africa to a halt.

Hundreds of MK supporters stormed the streets of Pretoria, marching to the National Treasury and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) ahead of Wednesday’s Budget Speech. Their message? The rising cost of living is already unbearable, and they won’t stand for another tax hike.

MK’s parliamentary chief whip, Mzwanele Manyi, didn’t mince words: “We will ensure that we go to the picket lines. We will ensure that we bring the country to a standstill.” The party has vowed to fight the proposed increase through protests, mass action, and every political tool at its disposal.

Adding fuel to the fire, the party’s ranks include Bonginkosi Khanyile and Duduzile Zuma, both facing trial for allegedly inciting the 2021 unrest. With tensions rising and just two days until the Budget Speech, the big question remains—will the Government of National Unity (GNU) dare to push the VAT hike through? And if they do, is South Africa prepared for the chaos that might follow?