The DA’s leader in KZN said if there’s instability in national government, it will spill over to coalitions at a provincial level.
The DA in KwaZulu-Natal says the future of the government of provincial unity (GPU) in the province is not certain.
This follows a fallout between the ANC and the DA at a national level over the passing of the 2025 budget. The DA and the ANC do not agree on the proposed 0.5% value-added tax (VAT) increase.
On Friday, the DA’s provincial leader Francois Rodgers told reporters that the province would be affected if the two major parties in the GNU continued to disagree.
ALSO READ: Power struggle in GNU as ANC eyes future without the DA
Will GPU in KZN survive national tensions?
Currently, KZN is led through a coalition between the ANC, DA, National Freedom Party (NFP) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).
However, Rodgers said the national GNU coalition will affect the provincial coalitions.
“As far as the GNU and the GPU being tied with an umbilical cord, you must remember that we are all part of one political party, so if there is instability at another level of government, it can have the possibility or the impact of creating instability in another sphere of government.
“At this stage, there is no talk of the DA pulling out of the GPU, but it all depends on what happens on a national level,” he said.
GNU leaders must ‘put egos aside’
Rodgers said it is important for the GNU’s national leaders to find a solution to the current disagreement over the 2025 fiscal framework.
“I would like to impress upon all our colleagues at a national level from every political party, they now need to start engaging in earnest, put their egos aside and start debating and talking about whatever decision or outcome it could ultimately have.”
Rodgers said the DA and other parties in the GNU had given the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana ideas on how to raise money without increasing tax.
“Remember VAT was going to go up by 2% and it was dropped to half a percent and you must ask yourself why the drop. If he was so adamant to have VAT, he should have left it at 2%. There are other alternatives to look at, other revenue streams instead of VAT,” he said.
Problems in the GNU
Sanet Solomon, a political analyst from Free State University (UFS) told The Citizen that the parties in the GNU should find a functional mechanism of resolving their differences.
“There appears to be a mismatch in expectations between the DA and the ANC. This was evident from the onset. The public was, however, under the impression that these parties would find a way to work together in the interest of the country.
“At some point, they need to decide whether they would like to continue working together or whether they would like to go their separate ways to ensure the reconfiguration of something that could work. The country needs better and this political flip-flopping needs to be resolved urgently,” she said.
NOW READ: Budget disagreement won’t spell the end of GNU – ANC
