Some political brinkmanship is probably about to be played out, despite all the seemingly high-minded objections to the VAT hike.

The process of passing South Africa's Budget has never had a year like this one. The first attempt at a Budget, scheduled for 19 February, didn't even make it to the National Assembly, after it collapsed in last-minute talks within the Government of National Unity (GNU) Cabinet following opposition to its proposed two percentage point VAT increase.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's second attempt at tabling a Budget, on 12 March, seemed destined to go ahead more smoothly -- before DA leader and GNU minister John Steenhuisen tweeted, moments before the start of the speech: "Good afternoon, South Africa. The DA will not support the budget in its current form".

That's potentially a headache for the ANC, since the Budget has to be passed by majority vote and the DA is the ANC's biggest GNU partner.

But that didn't stop a seemingly fairly relaxed Godongwana from going ahead with a speech in which he insisted that the Budget was one which reflected the will of the GNU with only "minor disagreements".

How does the Budget process normally work?

The Budget gets tabled in the National Assembly by the minister of finance, as happened on Wednesday.

Thereafter, it moves to the parliamentary...