What the future holds for the GNU

IT HAS become very clear that the ANC and the DA cannot resolve their fundamental disagreements.

- ZAKHELE COLLISION NDLOVU

Like a married couple that cites irreconcilable differences for divorce, this political marriage appears headed for a nasty break-up.

The failure of these two political parties to rise above narrow partisan interests now threatens the survival of the Government of National Unity (GNU) less than a year after its formation.

But wait a minute, the post-apartheid South Africa is a product of the compromises and negotiations of the early 1990s between the National Party government and the ANC. It would help the ANC and the DA to borrow a page from the early 1990s negotiations playbook

Back then, South Africa was on the brink of a civil war. It took the political maturity, statesmanship, and I dare say, patriotism of the ANC and the National Party to reach a “political solution”. The lesson here is that resolving political conflict takes compromise, conciliation and negotiation.

We find ourselves yet again at a crossroads where two of the largest political parties, the ANC and the DA are expected to set aside their narrow partisan interests to save the GNU from collapsing. Both sides have pledged to make sure that the country does not end up in an undesirable and bad place.

The GNU is barely hanging together as the political chess game between the ANC and the DA appears to get out of control. It is as if the GNU partners waited for the honeymoon period to be over to take off their gloves.

In the latest tit-for-tat move, the DA voted against the Budget, and has approached the courts to challenge the fiscal framework and revenue proposals. This move suggests that the DA has lost all confidence in the GNU’s processes of conflict resolution. Speaking of the Budget vote, it would be interesting to know how many members of Parliament (MPs) are equipped to make Budget decisions.