WATCH: Ramaphosa announces GNU decision, what you need to know

The African National Congress (ANC), led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, is heading towards a Government of National Unity (GNU) after failing to secure a majority of 50% +1 in the recent May 29th general elections.

Ramaphosa announced the ANC’s decision on Thursday after the party’s special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Johannesburg.

He said the establishment of a GNU is the best option to develop the country. He also said this initiative would ensure a progressive agenda of social and economic transformation in South Africa while pivoting towards addressing the needs and expectations of all South Africans.  

“The purpose of this government of national unity must be first and foremost to tackle the pressing issues that South Africans want to be addressed.

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“These issues include job creation and inclusive economic growth, the high cost of living, service delivery, crime and corruption,” Ramaphosa added.

Furthermore, he said the NEC sought unity among South Africans as well as a multiparty and multi-stakeholder collaboration in order to conquer the country’s critical tribulations.

Watch: Ramaphosa briefs media on the outcome of NEC on coalition talks

We have therefore agreed that we will invite political parties to form a Government of National Unity as the best option to move our country forward.
 
https://t.co/p0LEGJcePh

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) June 6, 2024

ANC invites parties to form GNU

According to Ramaphosa the ANC in April 2023 concurred on principles to guide their strategy in coalition partnerships.

He said these principles from the foundation to progress and establish a united, democratic, nonracial, non-sexist and successful country.

“These values include respect for the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the rule of law, social justice and equity, human dignity, nonracialism and non-sexism.

These values also include stability, accountability, transparency, integrity, community participation and good governance,” he said.

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Additionally, the Ramaphosa acknowledged the ideological and political differences the ANC has with opposition parties. He said the ANC will not preclude the possibility of working with any party provided that said party prioritises the public’s interests and adheres to the ANC NEC principles.

“Any such agreement to work with others must be based on a common minimum program that focuses on measurable targets for economic growth, inclusion, service delivery and development,” he added.

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The ANC has already convened with its alliance parties and some political parties which include the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the Patriotic Alliance (PA), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Democratic Alliance (DA), and National Freedom Party (NFP).

The uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK) party announced on Thursday that it was also due for a meeting with the ANC soon.

What is the GNU?

The GNU refers to a political arrangement in which different political parties or factions come together to form a coalition government. This is often done in times of crisis, transition, or to promote national stability and reconciliation.

In South Africa, the Government of National Unity was established in 1994 after the country’s first democratic elections, which marked the end of apartheid. The ANC, led by Nelson Mandela, formed a coalition government with the National Party (NP) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). This GNU aimed to promote national unity, rebuild the country, and address the social and economic inequalities created by apartheid.

Key features of a GNU include:

Power sharing: Parties share cabinet positions, decision-making authority, and resources.

Consensus building: Parties work together to find common ground and make decisions through negotiation and compromise.

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Cooperation: Parties put aside their differences to achieve common goals and priorities.

In a GNU, ministerial positions are typically allocated based on the strength of each party in the coalition, with larger parties often getting more prominent portfolios. This allows for a shared governance structure, promoting cooperation and collaboration among parties.

Speaking to The Citizen, Theo Venter, Professor of Practice at the College of Business and Economics at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) noted that a GNU can take two forms: one where parties choose to work together despite having a majority or one where parties are forced to work together due to no single party having a majority.

“The one source is like the government of national unity South Africa had from 1994 to 1996 where political parties decide to work together despite the fact that one of the political parties can be the government on its own. So there’s a very specific choice that the parties make, let’s say in the national interest or for the purposes of political transition that they work together.

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“A second form is where political parties are forced to work together because none of them have the majority to rule at a national level. That is where South Africa is at the moment. A situation where the ruling party, the ANC, is looking for partners to form a government,” said Venter.

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Pros and cons of a GNU

Venter acknowledges that a coalition government will come with both negatives and positives.

The benefits of a coalition government include compromise and accommodation among parties, leading to more moderate policies.

“The benefit of a coalition is that you have political parties that are typically ideologically different, but they are working together. None of these participants of the political parties can implement their policies or their ideologies exactly the way they wanted to. They will have to make compromises to get to a position where they can form a government and govern. That means some of the contentious policies in the country are moved aside so as to accommodate the other side and that’s one of the biggest benefits,” he said.

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However, Venter said the con of a GNU is that it slows down decision making.

“You have to negotiate almost everything.

“And you have to negotiate it very clearly before you can make a decision and that sometimes takes a lot of time,” he added.

GNU’s areas of contention

According to Venter, the unity government may impact the country’s international relations and global standing.

“At the moment, our current policy is not accepted all over the world, such as our position in relation to Palestine,” he said.

With the ANC vehemently supporting Palestine and calling for a cease fire from Israel, many have expressed that they do not see how the party could collaborate with the DA when it has taken a neutral stance.

The DA’s position has drawn a lot of criticism from the public and other political parties.

Although the DA has expressed support for a two-state solution, some have criticised it for being Pro-Israel.

Opposition parties vs ANC

With a new government in place, opposition parties are likely to hold the unity government accountable, while also wanting to ensure oversight as well as transparency, especially with a now competitive party system.

Ramaphosa said agreements between parties should be transparent.

“They should be public, transparent and include measures for holding parties accountable. Our approach to how provincial governments are formed, where we do not have an outright majority, will be guided by these same principles,” he added.

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Additionally, Venter shared the same sentiment saying no single party can whitewash or bully political parties into decisions.

“I think the opposition parties will at every opportunity go for a motion of no confidence and things like that. We will see a lot of activity on the legislature as these things progress.

“Therefore, coalition governments will have to think very clearly about what they’re going to do and how they are going to do it before they go to parliament due to the fact that a motion of no confidence is waiting for them at every corner of decision making,” added Venter.