Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana defended the 2026 budget in Parliament, outlining major allocations for social development, policing and infrastructure, while insisting that criticism often stems from misunderstanding how spending is structured across government.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has warned political parties against “twisting facts” about government spending, saying this is particularly important ahead of the November 2026 local government elections.
Godongwana made the remarks in Parliament on Tuesday, where the Appropriation Bill was passed and referred to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
This came as MPs clashed in the National Assembly over government spending priorities during debate on the 2026 national budget.
Godongwana said government spending was being misrepresented in parts of the debate, arguing that MPs were failing to distinguish between different components of the R2.3 trillion rand budget.
