By REGINALD KANYANE
25 January 2025- The Democratic Alliance (DA) said seven months ago, South Africans were imbued with a ‘sense of hope’ when the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance signed a Statement of Intent, heralding a new era of power-sharing in South Africa.
The DA said the Statement of Intent was the basis upon which it agreed to vote President Cyril Ramaphosa into office on 14 June 2024.
The DA leader, John Steenhuisen said it was also the basis upon which they joined national government, in order to keep uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) out, whom he described as ‘destructive forces’ and contribute to building South Africa.
Steenhuisen said this came after the people of South Africa voiced their dismay with the ANC over chronic service delivery failures and corruption, by depriving that party of its majority for the first time in 30 years.
“Through their vote, the people signalled that they want parties to work together to build South Africa. This is a point worth emphasising. The Government of National Unity (GNU) is not a project of politicians.
“It gives expression to the will of the people, who clearly said they want parties to genuinely work together, in a spirit of mutual respect, to build South Africa. The DA continues to uphold our end of the bargain,” he said.
Steenhuisen further said the portfolios under DA control have done more to deliver progress in the past seven months than the ANC did in 30 years. He added that, every day, DA Ministers, Deputy Ministers, house chairpersons and portfolio committee chairs get out of bed to build South Africa up after decades of misrule and corruption broke it down.
“That is what we are in government for, and that is what we are delivering. Precisely because we have heard the cry of the people for constructive cooperation, the DA also treats our colleagues from other parties in the GNU with respect, making constructive suggestions aimed at resolving disagreements rather than inflaming them.
“As a result, the first green shoots have started appearing in the economy and in employment statistics. The rand strengthened and international analysts hailed the formation of the GNU as South Africa’s most significant political development since 1994,” said Steenhuisen.
He said the recent World Economics’ Forum in Davos reflected this positive attitude of the world towards this significant political development. Steenhuisen said every day since 14 June 2025, his party has made a concerted effort to ensure the success of the GNU.
“We have negotiated and compromised where needed because, as veterans of coalition politics, we understand that if you don’t get over 50% of the vote, you cannot have everything your own way.
“At the same time, we made it clear from the start that we were in the GNU to share power, not merely to make up numbers for ANC to continue rolling out its policies,” he said.
Steenhuisen said any coalition agreement is premised on the acknowledgement that the larger party should be prepared to negotiate and compromise when required – because all parties in the GNU, including the ANC, only represent the interests of a minority. He said, however, after a promising start whereby Ramaphosa delayed the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act to enable negotiations, recent weeks have made it increasingly clear that the ANC has lost interest in honouring its side of the relationship.
“Unfortunately, the ANC in the GNU has taken to openly disrespecting partners and undermining the trust upon which any coalition government is built. In his statement at the ANC’s January 8 anniversary, Ramaphosa was quoted as saying that although the ANC failed to secure 50% plus one in the elections the ANC is still in charge.
“Just today, Ramaphosa opened the ANC Lekgotla saying that the GNU exists to implement the NDR. Not only is such a statement immature, but it does not accord with either the letter or the spirit of the Statement of Intent,” said Steenhuisen.
He said unfortunately, it does accord with how the ANC is behaving. Steenhuisen said in recent days, the Ramaphosa not only disregarded the serious constitutional objections raised by the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean MacPherson over the Expropriation Bill, but he failed to even inform him about when he intended to sign the bill into force.
“Similarly, a few weeks ago, I personally wrote to the President about the contentious National Health Insurance Act. I made a number of constructive proposals for consideration, and asked for a meeting to engage further ahead of the upcoming Cabinet Lekgotla to prevent a repeat of the events from the previous Lekgotla when the DA vehemently objected to the inclusion of NHI targets.
“Amazingly, the President refused to even meet with the Leader of his biggest coalition partner to discuss NHI – the single most critical issue for the future of the GNU, and for the future of South Africa,” he said.
Steenhuisen said, instead of engaging respectfully and maturely to find solutions, the ANC Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, declared war on the GNU in front of the world at Davos. He said Motsoaledi told world leaders assembled at the World Economic Forum that he is fighting a “war” against the people of South Africa who do not want their private medical aids expropriated, who do not want higher taxes to fund a new looting scheme, and who do not want the health system destroyed.
“This is not how mature colleagues behave. It is arrogant and disrespectful. It is a symptom of a lack of respect accorded to coalition partners and the founding agreement. And it is not how healthy coalitions work.
“Whether the ANC likes it or not, the stability of this government as well as the security of the President’s own position, depends entirely on the relationship between the two biggest partners inside the GNU,” said Steenhuisen.
Picture: The DA leader, John Steenhuisen
The Guardian 