GNU leaders meet amid policy frictions

Leaders of parties represented in South Africa’s coalition government labeled the Government of National Unity (GNU) are meeting for the first time in months amid heightened policy frictions among parties.

With 3 November being day two of the ‘GNU Leaders Retreat’ at the Cradle Boutique Hotel in Mogale City, Gauteng.

It has been reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa is unhappy with parties in the GNU challenging government policies.

The DA and VF Plus, for example, have frequently publicly challenged laws such as the Expropriation Act and, more recently, the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act.

According to a brief statement from the Presidency, the ongoing meeting provides “a platform for political leadership of governing parties.

This is “to reflect on collaboration among parties across the political spectrum within the framework of the 2024 post-election Statement of Intent.”

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the meeting was closed to the media to allow leaders the time and space to speak “freely and openly”.

“It’s nothing fancy or over the top — just an opportunity for the leaders to gather, focus on thrashing out all matters relevant to the GNU, and discuss issues most pertinent to taking the country forward,” he told the Sunday Times.

“The session is long overdue. It’s been difficult to schedule owing to the often clashing diaries of the leaders. As you know, they are all involved in various capacities of state leadership.”

GNU needs consistent dialogue

In the 2024 general elections, the ANC lost its three-decade-long majority, receiving 40% of the vote. It formed a coalition, or ‘GNU’, with the DA, IFP, PA, VF Plus, GOOD, Rise Mzansi, PAC, UDM, and Al Jama-ah.

Together, they occupy 287 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly.

However, some parties within the GNU have complained about the ANC’s dismissive nature to the ideas, inputs and concerns of their coalition partners, arguing that they govern as if they have a majority.

“Let me try to put it this way. If I explained exactly how the GNU should function, I can assure you it operates in the opposite way,” VF Plus leader Dr Corné Mulder recently told Newsday.

“If you want to have a successful coalition where people buy into the same process, you have to have continuous communication and interaction between the leaders because the leaders take responsibility towards their parties,” he said.

“If you don’t have that, it will break down.”

He provided the example of the GNU’s clearing-house mechanism that tends to conflict within the coalition.

However, the committee responsible for this, chaired by the Deputy President, has only met once this year – which is ongoing in Mogale City.

This is despite the GNU encountering numerous instances of conflict caused by stark ideological and policy differences, such as the budget vote, Black Economic Empowerment and relations with the US.

According to the South African Legal Academy, the first meetings of the Clearing House appeared to be a waste of time, as no resolutions were reached and fundamental disagreements remained. 

A draft mechanism of the terms of reference for the Clearing House, outlining the process of dispute resolution, was first presented at a mid-October 2024 meeting. 

There were disagreements, however, on these terms of reference that delayed the full implementation of the process.

This resulted in the Clearing House Mechanism stalling, holding no meetings after its inaugural 3 discussions. 

Recently, the ANC confirmed its dominant role in the governing coalition by stating that the GNU “is anchored in ANC-led policies.”

Professor William Gumede has warned that South Africa’s governance is hampered when the ANC treats its party policies as synonymous with national policies.

He argues that this approach undermines consensus in the GNU, stifles multi-party collaboration, and limits the country’s ability to respond to economic and social challenges.

“Now, if the ANC continues to insist on the ANC’s party and ideological policies being the country’s policies, the journey will become unsustainable,” Gumede told Newsday. 

“This is supposed to be a whole new multi-party government with new policies. Meaning every ANC policy must be set aside for new policies, which are GNU policies.”