For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Lumkile Nkomfe.

Making headlines: South Africa to amend Budget process after political wrangling; AfriForum welcomes progress in passage of US Bill targeting ANC leaders; And, Nigeria's Senate approves President Tinubu's $21 billion external borrowing plan

South Africa to amend Budget process after political wrangling

National Treasury plans to revamp its 2026 budget-preparation process after political wrangling saw this year’s proposal altered twice.

Treasury said in a statement today that South Africa’s current budget process has not kept pace with the country’s evolving fiscal, institutional, and political realities.

A comprehensive budget reform will be implemented for the 2026 budget that aims to clarify trade-offs, reduce waste, and prioritise high-impact programs.

Treasury said its recent review of the budget process revealed “fragmented decision-making, poor policy-budget alignment, and weak consensus on trade-offs in a context of competing priorities and limited fiscal space.

Proposals to raise taxes saw this year’s budget revised twice after members of a 10-party ruling coalition opposed it.

The Democratic Alliance called on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to rather look at ways to fire up the economy and review spending.

Lawmakers will today vote on the Appropriation Bill, a key piece of legislation required to advance the third version of the budget.

AfriForum welcomes progress in passage of US Bill targeting ANC leaders

Lobby group AfriForum clarified today that it has never advocated for sanctions that target South Africa as a whole, however it welcomed the introduction of targeted sanctions against South African politicians by the US.

Yesterday, the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved a Bill by Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson on the relationship between the US and South Africa.

The Bill will now go to the full House of Representatives for a vote before the Senate will consider it.

On Tuesday, Jackson posted on social media that South Africa had “made its choice”, arguing that it had “abandoned America” and its allies and “sided with communists and terrorists”.

AfriForum head of public relations Ernst van Zyl said the Bill was a welcome development for South African interests.

He said this development comes amid a deepening diplomatic crisis between the US and South African governments.

Last week it was reported that the US government has denied Mcebisi Jonas, South Africa’s special envoy to the US, a diplomatic visa and rejected his credentials.

And, Nigeria's Senate approves President Tinubu's $21 billion external borrowing plan

Nigeria's Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu's plan for more than $21-billion in foreign borrowing to plug shortfalls in the 2025 budget, a senior lawmaker said.

Tinubu asked parliament to approve the borrowing in May.

The approval also includes loans of 4-billion euros and 15-billion yen, a $65-million grant as well as $2-billion dollar-denominated borrowing at home.

The money is earmarked for infrastructure, healthcare, education, security and housing. Some $3-billion has been allocated to revamp a 2 044 kilometre narrow-gauge line along Nigeria's eastern rail corridor.

Since taking office in 2023, Tinubu has initiated bold economic reforms, including ending costly fuel subsidies and devaluing the naira, to stimulate growth. Instead the measures have fuelled inflation and triggered a cost of living crisis.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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