Steenhuisen says DA will leave GNU if it doesn’t create jobs

DA leader John Steenhuisen says his party will only leave the government of national unity (GNU) should the economy, the constitution and private property rights be under attack.

In his speech to the Press Club in Cape Town on Thursday, Steenhuisen said he had noted different headlines about the possible collapse of the GNU.

Steenhuisen says economy and constitution deal breakers for DA

He said touching the economy and the constitution were deal breakers for the DA.

“If the ANC sought to compromise the constitution, compromise the independence of key institutions like the Reserve Bank or do away with private property rights we will have no part in it,” he said.

 “The DA can never in good conscience be party to any assault on the constitution.”

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Steenhuisen said the DA had made a commitment to the people of South Africa to create jobs and grow the economy.

He said his party was willing to keep that promise through the GNU.

“The bottom line for the DA is that the economy grows and it creates jobs. If the GNU cannot and won’t do that there is no point in being part of that,” he said.

He said the party would then use their 22% of the vote to become an effective opposition.

Stages before leaving GNU

Steenhuisen said the party would have to go through several stages before leaving the GNU.

“First we seek common ground, next we engage in constructive conflict towards finding common ground [and] finally we walk away where there is lasting damage being done to the economy or the constitution,” he said.

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Currently, the DA had several policy disputes with the ANC, including the signing of the Bela Bill and the NHI Act.

However, Steenhuisen said policy differences were normal in a coalition.

“Not every single dispute in the GNU needs to be met with headlines. There will be conflict, there will be difference of policy. There are 10 parties with very different philosophies within the GNU and expecting them to agree on everything all of the time is an unrealistic expectation,” he said.

Steenhuisen said President Cyril Ramaphosa is in a better position to improve government services and make certain reforms with the DA in the GNU.

“The president is in a much stronger position to drive a reform agenda with the GNU than he necessarily would have been with his party having a majority in parliament,” he said.