What if South Africa's biggest budget problem isn't that we don't have enough money, but that we're spending it all wrong? In this video, we're breaking down Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) – a revolutionary approach that could transform how our government manages R2.60 trillion in public funds.For decades, South African government departments have operated on autopilot, automatically rolling over last year's budget with a little extra for inflation. This incremental approach has created what experts call "holy cows" – programs that are immune to scrutiny simply because they existed before. The result? Rising irregular and wasteful expenditure, R424.2 billion in debt-service costs, and citizens who aren't getting value for their tax money.The late Finance Minister Tito Mboweni saw this problem clearly. In 2020, during the pandemic lockdowns, he called for Zero-Based Budgeting to cut through layers of wasteful expenditure. Unfortunately, he didn't get the political support needed to make it happen. But the fiscal pressures he warned about have only intensified, making ZBB more necessary than ever.So what exactly is Zero-Based Budgeting? Instead of asking "How much more do we need this year?" ZBB forces every department to start from scratch and justify every single rand. Programs must prove their worth, demonstrate measurable impact, and compete for funding based on value for money. It's a complete reset that could reallocate billions from outdated programs to modern priorities.In this video, we explore:Why incremental budgeting is broken and perpetuates wasteHow Zero-Based Budgeting works in practice (the 4-step process)What ZBB could mean for our R1.52 trillion in social servicesThe political challenges that blocked Mboweni's visionWhether our current Government of National Unity has the courage to implement itWe break down real numbers from South Africa's budget – from the R298.9 billion health allocation to the R508.7 billion learning and culture budget – and ask the tough questions about whether we're getting adequate returns on these massive investments.This isn't just about saving money – it's about building a government that actually works for South Africans. Join us as we explore whether starting from zero could be the beginning we desperately need.Drop your thoughts in the comments: Do you think our political leaders have the courage to implement Zero-Based Budgeting?