Budget 2023
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WATCH: South Africans give their take on the mini budget

Cape Town - On Wednesday Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will be delivering the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), which is also known as the mini budget.

The mini budget is a government policy document that communicates to Parliament and the country the economic context in which the forthcoming budget will be presented, along with fiscal policy objectives and spending priorities over the three-year expenditure period.

Watch the video to find out what people in Cape Town and Johannesburg have to say about the mini budget:

In Johannesburg, Fin24’s Gareth van Zyl, interviewed a store owner, who only wanted to identify himself by his nickname ‘Cheddar’ and his friend ‘Biggie’ in the trendy inner city precinct Braamfontein. The precinct has recently been the epicentre of violent clashes between students and police over the #FeesMustFall protests.

Gareth van Zyl: Do you think Pravin Gordhan will stay or go:

Cheddar: I don't think he's going to stay because he's been the influence in Zuma's sellers and all of that. So, I don't think he's going to stay, according to me, I don't know what other people say. But I don't think he's going to stay.

Biggie: He must leave; he's going to leave. Because you see, it's all about the finances. People are crying about the finances...the students are crying about the finances and people are crying about the taxes.

Cheddar: And then they want to break into our stores...it's bad man.

Gareth van Zyl: Which of the three things are important to Pravin Gordhan's mini-budget. Is it how government can afford free education, how we can grow the economy or how we can create more jobs?

Cheddar: I think how you can create more jobs.
Biggie: Ya, more jobs. Unemployment.

Cheddar: Even for people who are unemployed, how are they going to be able to send their kids to school and stuff like that. Because you know, most black parents, they're suffering. They're seeking jobs but they cannot find jobs.

Cheddar and his friend Biggie (Picture: Gareth van Zyl)

Gareth van Zyl: So, definitely jobs hey? Not even free education?

Biggie: Ha, this free education thing.

Cheddar: I'm not going to say anything about the free education thing. Some (homes) are poor, some are rich, some are standard. Because of us (having) gone to a private school, it doesn't affect us, but then that's not the case. Some people cannot afford not to go to private school. They do need the free education.

Cheddar: I think if the government can know all the expenses ... I think we can find ourselves affording.

Biggie: But they do give schools money?

Cheddar: The institutions are the ones ripping the kids off.

Gareth van Zyl: Are you guys going to watch the mini-budget on Wednesday? Are you interested in it?

Cheddar: Yes, but you know how it ends. They start fighting and it becomes more entertaining than we should be learning in it and stuff like that.

Biggie: Plus nowadays, Parliament, eh, it's too funny. It's not serious.

Cheddar: But I think again maybe we should implement a way of striking for students...

Cheddar: We are black kids and you know we struggle but it doesn't give them a right to go break other people's stores.

Gareth van Zyl: Have you guys watched budgets before?

Biggie: This year I watched this one.

Gareth van Zyl: Have you found that you've been watching it more recently because of the politics?

Cheddar: Personally I do love politics. I wanted to study politics but I couldn't. But any way. But now we watch it more recently... it's like drama and other things.

Kyle Venktess chats to Leago Sebitlo and Likhaya Gertse:

Leago Sebitlo (Kyle Venktess)

Are you going to follow the mini-budget on Wednesday?

I’m going to listen to it.

Do you think Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will stay on as finance minister after his mini budget speech?

Ya, I think he will stay on. Because he’s a threat, if they can remove Pravin Gordhan, the ANC’s going to have a big problem. Because now he is fighting on the positive side of things. The ANC is together and he is on one side.

Which one of the three things do you think is the most important aspect of this year’s mini budget? How government can afford fee-free education; How we can grow the economy; How we can create more jobs.

I’d say economy. Cost of living would be cheaper, so school fees and things like that wouldn’t be an issue. If we talking currency only, if our currency had to be closer to others around the world, because if it is cheaper, cost of living would be cheaper, everything would be cheaper in South Africa.

                                                                Likhaya Gertse (Kyle Venktess)

Are you going to follow the mini-budget on Wednesday?

Ya, it think it is important, we need to know what’s going on in our country and with our economy.

Do you think Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will stay on as finance minister after his mini budget speech?

I don’t think so, because so far the country’s economy is going down a slope, my man.  It’s not good. It’s his downfall.

Which one of the three things do you think is the most important aspect of this year’s mini budget? How government can afford fee-free education; How we can grow the economy; How we can create more jobs.

How we can grow the economy. I believe we have to grow our economy and sustain our budget.

* Visit our Budget Special for all the budget news and in-depth analysis.

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