By Thabo Mosia , Political Editor .
South Africans have increasingly voiced dissatisfaction with the 2024 Government of National Unity (GNU), with growing concerns that the coalition arrangement is nothing more than a political scam aimed at preserving power for the African National Congress (ANC) and its key allies. While initially presented as a solution to stabilize the country’s governance, particularly after the 2024 national elections, the GNU has failed to convince many South Africans, with critics pointing out its inability to deliver on meaningful reforms, tackle corruption, and address service delivery challenges.
One of the primary criticisms is the GNU’s lack of genuine representation at the municipal level. If this government was truly about uniting the country and improving governance, why is it not implemented consistently across all levels, including municipalities? The absence of such a unification effort at the local level has fueled suspicions that the GNU is more about political survival than genuine reform.
Recent political maneuvers in Tshwane have further fueled public discontent. The ANC, working with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and ActionSA, successfully ousted the Democratic Alliance (DA)-backed mayor, Cilliers Brink. This action highlights the fragile nature of the coalition, as key parties within the GNU, including the ANC and DA, find themselves at odds over municipal control. The DA’s removal from Tshwane is seen by many as an orchestrated move by the ANC to weaken its own coalition partner at the national level while cozying up to opposition forces like the EFF and ActionSA in local government. The result is a growing distrust in the GNU’s legitimacy and purpose .
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba defended his party’s actions, explaining that their alignment with the ANC in Tshwane was out of necessity. However, this stance has drawn criticism from various quarters, with some accusing ActionSA of betraying the multiparty coalition agreement they had initially supported. The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) has condemned the ousting of Brink, calling ActionSA’s shift a “traitorous” act that undermines what was achieved in Tshwane through the DA-led coalition .
Moreover, the recent developments in Tshwane and Johannesburg reveal deeper fractures within the GNU. Dissident factions within the ANC, reportedly more aligned with the EFF and MK Party, are making moves to challenge the coalition, raising concerns about the GNU’s long-term sustainability. Analysts have pointed out that the cracks in the ANC-DA alliance could eventually lead to its collapse, especially if these internal divisions are not resolved before the ANC’s 2027 leadership conference .
As frustrations grow, many South Africans are left questioning why the GNU was established in the first place. Some argue that it serves as a facade to protect failing political parties, rather than as a genuine tool for national unity and progress. The fact that the ANC is willing to work with opposition parties like the EFF and ActionSA at the local level to remove the DA — its supposed partner in the GNU — only adds to the skepticism. If the GNU were truly about stabilizing governance, critics argue, it would not be subject to such political maneuvering .
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