The Government of National Unity (GNU) was just a rushed rescue plan to save a drowning country, writes Zukile Majova in his Real Politics column.
From the start, the government of national unity was sold as a team effort — but it was really Cyril Ramaphosa’s idea.
He forced his party, the ANC, to support it. Outside of business circles, the coalition was never popular.
It was never about a shared vision between the ANC and the DA. It was a rushed plan to rescue a country drowning in more than 10 years of state capture and looting.
Even as Ramaphosa and DA federal chair Helen Zille shook hands, it was clear the truce would not last. Like in the movie Troy, where enemies call for a brief peace, both sides knew: “You’re still my enemy in the morning.”
This coalition will hold only as long as Ramaphosa and Zille can work together. And that relationship is now under strain.
The GNU has been slow from the start, but that’s not unusual in coalitions. Investors know this. When it works, it can bring change.
This week was the lowest point yet. But neither side has said they’re out.
Ramaphosa said the DA was acting outside the GNU after it voted against the budget. He said the ball was now in John Steenhuisen’s court.
The DA did vote against the budget — but not exactly the numbers. It’s fighting the process used to pass it.
Zille is now in court challenging how the budget was adopted. The DA wants more influence in fiscal planning and wants real plans for growth and jobs.
The DA is not walking away — which means the ball is back in Ramaphosa’s court.
What will he do now?
The ANC’s national executive committee meets on Monday to talk about next steps.
Meanwhile, a photo of top ANC and EFF leaders in a closed-door meeting is fuelling speculation the ANC may ditch the DA and bring Julius Malema’s party into the unity government.
In the photo: ANC chair Gwede Mantashe, deputy president Paul Mashatile, ANC caucus leader Mdumiseni Ntuli, EFF president Julius Malema and EFF secretary Marshall Dlamini.
Bringing the EFF into government may help the ANC stay in office — but it won’t fix the economy or calm investors.
Ramaphosa still wants to pour billions into infrastructure and get the government working better.
But his own party is broken. That could be why he gave Public Works and Basic Education to the DA — to make use of their cleaner record in running departments.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said: “You can’t vote against the budget and the next day you want to implement that budget.”
But that might not be the end of the GNU.
Ramaphosa knows it’s even harder to govern with 10 tiny parties who each hold just 1% of the vote and can bring down the whole thing.
Ramaphosa still needs the DA because his next big fight is with the government of President Donald Trump and he knows it will be much harder to march to Washington without the DA by his side.
Image caption: ANC and EFF leaders in sidebar talks
Image source: X
