As the nation braces for the 2025 budget, the middle class stands on the brink. The rescheduling of the budget speech to Wednesday 12 March is not just a procedural delay, it is a glaring reflection of a government that no longer prioritises the very people who keep this country afloat.
VAT (Value Added Tax) is a regressive system by its nature; how can they even consider an increase when we are barely surviving?
This marks the first time in history that the budget has been postponed, raising serious questions about whether the government is truly capable of addressing the economic crisis we face. For years, we have been told that the middle class is the backbone of the economy, the engine that drives growth and stability. Yet, when it comes to policies that impact us, we are treated as nothing more than a convenient source of revenue. We are taxed relentlessly, yet when we seek relief, there is none.
We exist in a system where we pay the most but receive the least in return. We fund public healthcare but still need medical aid. We pay taxes for education, yet our children’s schools are overcrowded and underfunded. We contribute to infrastructure, yet our roads are riddled with potholes.
Where does our money go?
I feel abused by a system that continues to take and take, a system where our children will never benefit from.
Education was once the key to upward mobility, but for middle-class families, it has become a financial burden.
University fees continue to soar, and NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme), the one institution meant to provide relief, is overwhelmed and failing to meet demand. Thousands of students are left in limbo, waiting for funding that may never come. For those who do not qualify for financial aid, the only option is private loans at exorbitant interest rates, forcing families into long-term debt.
And what is the reward?
A degree that costs more than it’s worth in a shrinking job market where graduates struggle to find employment. How can we build generational wealth when each new generation starts from zero or worse, already in debt?
Food, fuel, rent, utilities everything is increasing. The government preaches financial responsibility, but where are the programmes that teach people how to navigate debt, manage personal finances, or break free from economic hardship?
There is no comprehensive financial education, no real tools to help citizens take control of their futures. It is as if the system is designed to keep us struggling, ensuring that we remain dependent. At this point, we must ask: does the middle class even exist? Or is it just an illusion, a title we cling to because we are too afraid to admit that we are sinking? The wealthy continue to thrive. The poorest receive government assistance, however insufficient it may be. And then there’s us, the so-called middle class, too “rich” to receive help but too poor to build financial security. We are stuck in a paradox, squeezed from both ends while expected to keep the economy afloat.
The gap between rich and poor is widening, and we are the ones carrying the burden. We are not moving forward; we are stagnating. We are not building wealth; we are barely surviving. And with every passing year, more and more of us slip into financial distress, living from hand to mouth.
The postponement of the budget speech raises serious concerns. Could it be that the government is weighing its options carefully, knowing that any decision it makes will have dire consequences?
The recent 5,5% wage increase for government employees has sparked my speculation, could this be the reason behind a proposed 2% tax hike?
Is the state attempting to offset wage increases by extracting more from taxpayers?
This is not sustainable. A nation cannot function if the very people who sustain it are struggling to stay afloat. The middle class is not just a tax base, it is the lifeblood of the economy. And yet, it is shrinking.
We need a budget that prioritises us. That tackles the cost-of-living crisis, makes education accessible without burdening families with lifelong debt. A budget that offers real solutions, not empty promises.
If we do not demand change now, we will be erased – not just as a class, but as individuals who have worked hard only to see our futures slip further out of reach. We may be the silent majority, but we are not invisible. And we refuse to go down quietly. Find something else to increase.
