Rocky roads still ahead for GNU despite weekend clear-the-air meetings

Despite the ANC and the DA leadership having described as “constructive” weekend discussions to break the budget impasse and reconfigure the GNU, a political analyst yesterday said public spats on fundamental policy differences were not unexpected.

Committing to being part of the GNU since the fallout with the ANC over the failure to support the fiscal framework of the budget, DA federal council chair Helen Zille said the party was “committed to finding solutions in the best interests of South Africa”.

Zille said the ANC-DA engagement took place “in a constructive atmosphere, with both sides speaking respectfully – yet frankly about the need to resolve the impasse over the budget and to enhance cooperation between the two parties in the context of the GNU”.

The ANC delegation, led by party secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, said the meeting with the DA formed part of “the ANC’s unwavering commitment to the principles of dialogue, nation-building and collective leadership in addressing the urgent socioeconomic needs of our people”.

“At the centre of these engagements is the future of our country and the responsibility we carry to ensure it remains united, stable and focused on development. There is no way that the DA will leave the GNU

“The ANC reaffirms its position as the leader of society, guided by the historic mandate it has received to transform South Africa into a nonracial, nonsexist, democratic and prosperous nation for all who live in it,” said the ANC.

‘No way DA will leave the GNU’

Prof Sethulego Matebesi, political analyst with the University of the Free State, said despite the DA not abandoning the court case over the value-added tax increase, there was “no way that the DA will leave the GNU”.

“Despite the constructive deliberations, that case is ongoing. The DA won’t just withdraw the case because that will be a political own goal – indicating that the party is always in a hurry to run to courts,” said Matebesi.

ANC-DA public spats were “ructions to be expected from time-to-time”.

“Major areas of agreement are where there is ideological common ground between the two parties,” said Matebesi.

“Ideological differences – issues to do with the Land Expropriation Act, Bela Act and affirmative action policies – will always lead to disagreements.

“Adhering to ideology is at the core of the ANC’s DNA, keeping the party relevant.

“I cannot see that the ANC would want to make any compromises and give in to the demands of the DA, because that in itself will be a political suicide.

“It will give huge opportunity to opposition parties like the MK and EFF, which had been claiming that the ANC is jumping to the whims of the DA.

“The ANC is unlikely to shift from its fundamentals in advancing the interests of the so-called disadvantaged group.

“On the other side, it seems the DA is taking a posture of elitism, which is an antithesis of what the ANC wants to promote.”

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Put SA first

Another policy analyst Nkosikhulule Nyembezi urged political parties to “strive to find common ground and promote national interest above narrow political ideologies”.

“When the DA and other parties voted against the budget, my first question was: how on earth did the GNU partners get into such a mess?” Nyembezi said.

“A national budget is supposed to reflect a collegial relationship and consensus among lawmakers. “Petty disagreements between the ANC and the DA are nowhere near these levels.

“The next day after the budget vote, things got personal.

“Various parties released their methodology and cited various reasons for supporting or opposing the budget, including ideological differences, seemingly in support of their position.

“But they got it very wrong. I fundamentally disagree with the ANC and the DA’s list of preconditions for the adopting the budget and approach.

“But even taking these at face value, my view is that government should have long convened a national dialogue for social partners to lay the principles for this GNU.”

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