Cape Town - While Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's Budget speech brought joy to some, his announcement of an increase in sin tax did cause one Member of Parliament's reaction to go viral.
Delivering the 2020 National Budget Policy Statement in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Mboweni announced that a "bottle of 750 ml spirits, including whisky, gin or vodka, will rise by R2.89". At that exact moment, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe rubbed his hand over his face.
The action was caught on TV and when it was posted to Twitter many people couldn't resist weighing in on the look on the minister's face. A number of Twitter users said that Mantashe summed up how they felt.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSpeech2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSpeech2020 pic.twitter.com/8ZCmJ81Npe
— Tall_Black_Guy (@_tallblackguy)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSpeech2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSpeech2020
— Sihle nkwanyana (@sihle_nkwanyana)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSpeech2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSpeech2020 pic.twitter.com/8HKkJwKcWS
— Velemseni Zulu (@VelemseniZulu)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSpeech2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSpeech2020
— Issa Mess™️ (@Ngubenil)
He was like😂 pic.twitter.com/0m5oHYHutv
— Monsieur Mo (@ItsSirMo) February 26, 2020
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSpeech2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSpeech2020 pic.twitter.com/5cyLB3EAjQ
— Bad Influencer ® (@Landless_Native)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSpeech2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSpeech2020
— Xolié (@XolieMahlangu)
Champopo going up! Gin also, Bhab Gwede just broke a sweat.
Gwede not happy about vodka going up 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
— Mbali ka Macingwane (@mamchunu) February 26, 2020
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSpeech2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSpeech2020 pic.twitter.com/I0PHCeUPNk
— MXhosakazi 👑 (@MandieTshwete)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSpeech2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSpeech2020 pic.twitter.com/dNnhsIUqe7
— ㄥ乇乇 (@IamLeeCore)
Mboweni also announced that in line with Department of Health policy the government would start taxing heated tobacco products such as hookah or "hubbly bubbly".
“The rate will be set at 75 per cent of the rate of cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes, or so-called vapes, will be taxed from 2021.”
Mboweni increased excise duties “to keep pace with inflation” from today:
- A 340ml can of beer or cider will cost only an extra 8c
- A 750ml bottle of wine will cost an extra 14c
- A 750ml bottle of sparkling wine an extra 61c
- A bottle of 750 ml spirits, including whisky, gin or vodka, will rise by R2.89
- A packet of 20 cigarettes will be an extra 74c
- A 25 gram of piped tobacco will cost 40c more
- A 23 gram cigar will cost an extra R6.73
He did, however, report "that there is no increase in the price of sorghum beer".
Here are some other reactions to the news of an increase in sin tax:
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSpeech2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSpeech2020 pic.twitter.com/LEBbjszXhZ
— K U L A N I (@kulanicool)
undefined%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSpeech2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSpeech2020 pic.twitter.com/9CwcPHq4Qw
— 🌈 Adebiyi 👑🤴 (@MrWhite_Mhlambi)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/SinTax?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SinTaxmust keep rising. pic.twitter.com/1PxELQ6jMi
— Njoms (@njomane_tdh)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSpeech2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSpeech2020
— Masonwabe Mthombeni (@Maso241119)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSpeech2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSpeech2020 https://t.co/W9D6qLuhgs
— Phaks Phalo👑 (@SirPhaks)
Cape Argus