Coalition governments - a year of unfulfilled promises

THE coalition of political parties leading the country has failed to improve the living conditions of South Africans.

- THAMI MAGUBANE

This was the assessment of opposition parties outside the Government of National Unity (GNU) and the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) that leads KwaZulu-Natal as the one-year anniversary of the coalition governments was marked this week.

The two structures were formed last year after the African National Congress (ANC) failed to win the majority of the vote in the national government elections. The GNU is made up of close to 10 parties, while the GPU in KZN consists of the ANC, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Democratic Alliance (DA) and the National Freedom Party (NFP). ActionSA was scathing in its criticism of the GNU, saying that it has been an expensive exercise for the country without any returns.

Athol Trollip, ActionSA Parliamentary Leader, said the metrics have been poor since the GNU took over. He noted that the formation of the GNU saw the cabinet expand from 30 to 32 ministers and from 36 to 43 deputy ministers. Salaries, staff and related perks for newly appointed ministers and deputy ministers alone have increased the cabinet’s budget by almost R250 million each year.