Normal life is slowly returning in South Africa following weeks of uncertainty resulting from the May 29 electoral stalemate that saw the ANC lose its parliamentary majority for the first time after governing the country since the first democratic elections in 1994.
Many, including the ANC itself have described the co-governing arrangement that involve not less than ten political parties as “unchartered waters” with opposition formations who are usually criticising from outside, now part of the government with some of their representatives occupying positions in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet.
“The ANC acknowledges that the establishment of the ANC-Led Government of National Unity (GNU) introduces a new, unfamiliar dynamic and wishes to assure the people of South Africa that we will ensure stability, and provide clear policy direction,” said the ANC in a statement on Monday morning.
This week’s cabinet Lekgotla is expected to adapt a programme for the government based on the election manifestos of the eleven parties.
While there appears to be consensus on among others, the need to ensure energy sufficiency, grow the economy in order to create jobs, cushioning the poor through social grants, fighting crime as well as corruption, there remains fundamental policy differences among some of the key players in the Government of National Unity, most notably that the DA and Freedom Front Plus are vehemently opposed to redress policies such as black economic empowerment and affirmative action.
The DA is already in court challenging the laws it describes as ” race-based” as well as a decision taken by the sixth administration to construct a nuclear power plant.
On the other hand, the FF+ has reassured its supporters that it will resist being used for rubber stamping ANC decisions if they are not rational.
In the early days of the GNU, there’s already signs that cabinet was now a fiercely contested terrain with ministers from the DA seemingly trying to steal the show.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schriber drew outrage when he announced his priority will be to make it easier for tourists and work visa applicants to come to South Africa with many poor people accusing him of creating unhealthy competition with foreign nationals in the job market.
Dr Pieter Groenewald, the FF+ leader who is now the Correctional Services Minister has become a darling of the so-called Black Twitter for suggesting that prisons produce their own food in order to ease the burden on the fiscus although that is already being done at a large scale by prisons across the country.
Another new minister, Dean Mcpherson of the DA who now heads the Public Works department had his fair share of popularity after announcing that no new homes or offices will be procured for ministers and Members of Parliament. Mcpherson made the announcement despite that there is currently no such request from parliament or the executive itself.
Independent political analyst Melusi Ncala said it was expected of the DA representatives to try and outshine their ANC colleagues and added that the approach is part of a well established propaganda reliant strategy that the party has been practicing.
“They like showman politics. think the Western Cape and the Cape Metropolitan area which has been projected as working whether it does or not and inspite of the issues of corruption, the issues of racism and the structural imbalances”, said Ncala in an interview with Newsnote.
Ncala said the DA is in the GNU mostly as part of a bid to get rid of the ANC and stands a good chance of succeeding as the liberation movement is consumed with internal factional battles.
The GNU is expected to face fierce contestation from the-so-called ‘progressive caucus’ in parliament during the election of portfolio committee chairpersons.
The informal grouping comprises of the likes of EFF, African Transformation Movement and several other political parties including PAC, Al Jamah and UDM who have since joined the GNU.
