At first one thought this was a joke – a strange proposal of taxing fun.
Yet, it is not April 1, it is no April Fool’s joke, and making jokes such as this is cruel because South Africans cannot handle any more hysterics. After all, our government has become a joke, and so has our entire sporting fraternity it seems.
After all, look at the Proteas’ performance in the Cricket World Cup, or Banyana Banyana being crushed at the Soccer World Cup or Bafana Bafana’s poor showing at Afcon.
So, all jokes aside, it seems there are deepening levels of madness still in store for the citizens of our country. This is despite so many in Boksburg finding it harder than ever to survive. Just look at how many people are homeless, desperate and crushed by society.
Apparently Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter will be looking to a stressed economy to meet his revenue target of R1.422-trillion, and taxing fun has been mooted as one of a number of proposals to help meet any shortfall.
So, what is happening is new sources has to be looked at to be added to the list of allowable taxes, such as development charges, tourism, fire and advertisement levies, hotel taxes, weighbridges in mining areas, advertisement levies and amusement taxes.
One can only imagine what will happen if amusement taxes were levied on leisure activities, such as eating out or going to the movies. This could lead to a major impact on the economy.
The government is clearly desperate to raise money, but such desperation only exists because of so much money being stolen, mismanaged or squandered. Take for example all the state-owned enterprises that are all bankrupt and owing billions.
Now the small group of employed in this city and country needs to be broken even further to pay for corruption and shoddy management.
Such desperate times are sadly a result of a government that has failed to get the economy growing, resulting in continuing unemployment, which is quite evident in Boksburg.
Businesses keep closing down because too many people do not even have an income to be taxed.
Yes, we live in a land of 17 million people living on social grants.
We might all laugh and scoff at such craziness, leaving us not at all amused at a proposed tax on fun, but the government has already hiked VAT and introduced tax on sugar.
This is all because the government has bled the stone dry when it comes to personal tax. Companies are the only ones barely keeping this country afloat, yet taxes keep intensifying.
Added to the list of taxable streams over and above personal, pay as you earn (PAYE) and VAT, is air passenger tax (for international flights), capital gains tax, estate duty (20 per cent if more than R3.5-million), and the skills development levy, to name a few. So a tax on fun is not so far-fetched.
But then again, isn’t the sin tax already putting a damper on all fun?
Economist Chris Hart noted there was a total disconnect between the sentiments expressed in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address and higher taxes.
“This is wrecking-ball thinking and why we are in for a prolonged depressed economy with capital flight and a visit to the IMF at the end of the tunnel,” Hart said.
Already the metros have hiked tariffs, and while petrol has gone down this month, living costs remain sky high.
People in South Africa are already depressed. Many are leaving or talking about leaving, yet the President does not understand why. Go figure.
Any further strange taxes on fun will just be a further nail in the coffin to kill any joy left.
And then, what is next? A tax on coughing, laughing or making a joke? Or how about a social media tax? You get taxed for every post or comment.
Who knows what will happen? It seems that ridiculousness is the new norm to cover up growing incompetencies and bad governance.
