Amid ongoing talks, bets are on the GNU will remain intact

Tension between the DA and ANC persists but ActionSA may keep them together

- Emsie Ferreira, Lunga Mzangwe & Mandisa Nyathi

As the crisis between the two biggest parties in the ruling coalition stretched into its second week, neither side was willing to walk away nor to make concessions to swiftly end an impasse impacting investor sentiment.

In the ranks of the ANC, the mood towards the Democratic Alliance (DA) had not lifted, making it hard for those who risked political capital on a post-coalition pact with the former opposition to argue for its future.

"The anger and frustration is real," a well-placed source said as the party mulled whether it needed to persevere with its fraught arrangement with the DA for the sake of the stability of the government.

"It is not mild, the budget was just the final straw. Even people who for a very long time have been pro-DA in the GNU [government of national unity], have been supportive and arguing for working with them, they have now had it."

The ANC was reserving its options by holding talks with ActionSA, the six-seat party that is outside the coalition but proved useful in getting the fiscal framework adopted by the National Assembly last week when the DA refused to vote for it.

That, ANC sources said, wore out the patience of decision-makers who viewed the DA's role in the 10-party coalition government as a transparent attempt to "weaken the ANC from within the coalition" for its own electoral gain.

But the sobering thought for the ANC was to what extent, beyond getting the budget across the line, it could count on ActionSA as a stabilising force for the coalition.

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has confirmed that he held talks with the ANC's national working committee (NWC) on Wednesday.

The DA secured a similar invitation from ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula on Wednesday, but declined on the grounds of short notice.