A year of the 'unity project'
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's government of national unity turns one soon, and it's been a turbulent time. There were some gains and lost opportunities.
The GNU was formed in June 2024 following the May 2024 elections. These resulted in a hung parliament.
And on this day then, the ANC and DA signed a Statement of Intent, marking the formal establishment of the GNU and the appointment of the new cabinet.
Political analyst, Mpumelelo Mkhabela had a discussion with eNCA as the one year anniversary of the GNU approaches.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
2 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Floyd Shivambu and our politics of churn
The decision by former MK party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu to 'consult' before starting a new party is another indication of what could become a dominant trend in our politics. We are now likely to see more parties being formed more often, and, in many cases, failing. This churn is all about palace politics and may lead to more disengagement. Floyd Shivambu's recent trajectory, from his position as deputy leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), to joining the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party, becoming its secretary-general, being fired and now working on a new party is all about position and palace politics. While he and his supporters might argue that it is about ideology, this is hard to square with reality. The EFF describes itself as a progressive pan-African force; the MK party wants traditional leaders to govern (under Jacob Zuma). Clearly Shivambu's claim that joining the MK party was 'the best decision' he's ever made was not true. It now appears likely that he will be expelled from the party and will start a new party. In historical terms this is part of a much longer process. As the African National Congress (ANC) continues to fracture, so more parties are flowing from its former members. It should not be forgotten that this process started with the expulsion of Bantu Holomisa from the ANC. He formed the United Democratic Movement. Since then, there have been many parties that have fought one or two elections and then fallen from view. The Independent Democrats, Congress of the People (Cope) and Agang are good examples of this. But now it appears that the process has sped up, and we can expect many more such parties. While some were clearly non-starters, others fell victim to the kind of palace politics that Shivambu has clearly been involved in. Parties such as Cope and Agang disappeared mainly because of disputes among their leaders. The Independent Democrats disappeared when Patricia de Lille decided to join the Democratic Alliance (DA). When that marriage fell apart she formed another party in Good. Importantly many of these parties do have their roots in the ANC in some way shape or form. This is why Dali Mpofu was not wrong to say that he felt he deserved to belong to the ANC, the EFF and the MK party all at the same time. He was merely speaking about the fact that many of our newer parties have their roots in the ANC. The ANC was easily the most prominent movement in the fight against apartheid, and the way our society was structured at the time meant that most people who wanted to be politically active joined it. Or something that was affiliated with it in some way. Personality politics One of the key features of these newer parties has been that they are so often about personality politics. Many parties are unable to move on past their first leader, because so often, the party is the leader. This then leads to a large percentage of churn — parties that come and go based on the whims of their leaders. This has a huge impact on our politics. And it can lead to absurd consequences In Joburg, Colleen Makhubela became the Speaker after representing Cope as a proportional representation councillor. The party had won just 0.22% of the vote. She used this position to bargain, as she appeared to hold the balance of power between coalitions led by the ANC and the DA. Then she left Cope (or was expelled, depending on whom you care to listen to) and formed the SA Rainbow Alliance. That received 12,450 votes in last year's elections. Following all of that she joined… you guessed it… the MK party. Someone who is able to do that can have no ideology. But apart from the absurdity there are more important consequences. Declining trust The first is that these smaller outfits make forming and maintaining coalitions almost impossible. The fact that it is about individual personalities, and that the leadership of these parties changes so often, means that their behaviour is impossible to predict. This leads to short-lived coalitions in councils and, soon perhaps, the National Assembly. The second is that all of this palace politics of personality will lead many people to conclude, correctly, that none of this is about helping people. While our politics has been through phases of protecting party leaders, or certain classes, now it is becoming more about just individual personalities. But it is all happening in plain sight. Everyone can see it. Which means that voters are likely to simply turn away from our politics. It will lead to greater levels of people simply refusing to vote. All of this could spiral downwards. As more parties are formed and as their leaders use them simply for bargaining in coalitions, so governance will get worse. More and more decisions will be made simply for the purposes of patronage. In turn people will be less inclined to stay involved in our politics. Why vote if you know a party is just a personal vehicle for someone who is not interested in improving your life? This is a difficult dynamic to stop; individuals and groups must be allowed to move from party to party and to form parties when they wish. Some measures, such as those that would limit representation in legislatures to parties that get over a certain percentage of support, might help. But in the end, it appears as if we are destined to have a lot more churn in our politics, with serious consequences as a result. DM
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
EThekwini politics: Zandile Gumede sidelined as new task team emerges
Former eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede's political role in the ANC is uncertain after she was not included in the eThekwini task team list. Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers The role of of Zandile Gumede, once a powerful ANC chairperson of eThekwini region and its former Mayor, appears to have hit a dead end in the region's politics following her exclusion from the soon-to-be announced new regional task team. In the leaked list, Gumede who is currently on trial for corruption involving the R320 million Durban Solid Waste tender scandal, has been left out of the regional task team and the additional members list, apparently ending her political role in the region's politics. Also excluded from the list is Gumede's once deputy chairperson Thembo Ntuli, who assumed the acting role in her absence. After she was arrested and charged for corruption, Gumede was subsequently removed from her mayoral position in 2018 and was also placed on the party's step aside policy, which effectively stripped her of her political powers. However, in 2022 she made a strong comeback when her faction elected her as regional chairperson, although she was absent from the conference because of the step aside rule. Topping the regional task team list as convener is Nigel Gumede who is making a strong political comeback in eThekwini politics. He was in charge of the Human Settlement Committee when James Nxumalo was the mayor of eThekwini and was in the faction that lost to Zandile Gumede in the 2022 elective conference. Nigel Gumede was in the faction that was viewed as being aligned to President Cyril Ramaphosa during the eThekwini elective conference and sources said his appointment will give the president direct control to one of the biggest and most influential regions in the country. Both Gumedes did not respond to requests for comment. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The ANC held a service delivery summit in Durban on Sunday and the provincial task team coordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu said the process to appoint a new regional task team had been completed but the party will publicly announce the names next week after formally informing branches. 'In line with the ANC protocols, we are not going to announce the names of the people that will lead our regions as task teams before informing our branches first. Next week we will begin that process and announce the names,' said Mabuyakhulu. Although all the regions' terms had already expired, the party had an option to retain the regional committees until the next elective conference, however, sources within the party said the decision to remove them was prompted by branch audit outcomes. Sources said the audit outcomes revealed that many branch executive committee members were sympathetic to the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), and the ANC felt it should disband regional committees as they appeared to have lost control of the branches. EThekwini, which is the only metro in the province and one of the largest regions in the country, with a voting population of close to two million, is the party's main strategic point. The region, which has been the party's stronghold for decades, fell to former president Jacob Zuma's MKP in last year's national general elections, relegating the ANC to third place in terms of electoral support. The region is expected to be a battleground between the ANC and the MKP ahead of next year's local government election. Despite the ANC's insistence that regional task teams are an opportunity for renewal, others view them as a strategic decision by Luthuli House to have direct control over branches in the province ahead of the party's elective conference in 2027. Sources said the changes will give party Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula an edge over other potential presidential candidates since he will have direct control of branches. Mbalula, Senzo Mchunu, and Kgosientsho Ramokgopa have been touted to replace Ramaphosa, who is serving his last term as ANC president.
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
One Year of GNU: A year of mixed reactions from investors and citizens
As South Africa's Government of National Unity marks its first year, analysts highlight a cautious optimism among investors, driven by a shift away from populist policies and a focus on economic stability. Image: IOL Graphics The formation of South Africa's Government of National Unity (GNU) - a historic coalition uniting the ANC, Democratic Alliance (DA), and smaller parties after the pivotal May 2024 elections - has sent ripples through global markets, capturing the keen interest of international investors. Beyond the noise of political punditry, seasoned investors are observing with measured optimism. They see not only the fragility inherent in this unprecedented alliance, but also the rare opportunity it presents: a chance for South Africa to pivot toward stability, reform, and inclusive economic growth. In the days following the GNU's announcement, financial markets responded with conviction. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) surged, nearing record highs as waves of foreign capital flowed into equities and bonds. The rand rallied to its strongest levels in months, while bond yields fell, clear indicators of renewed investor confidence and a recalibrated risk outlook. Analysts attribute this momentum to the coalition's early signals: a rejection of populist economic policies, including land expropriation without compensation, and a deliberate move to assemble a pragmatic, pro-growth cabinet focused on restoring fiscal discipline and policy certainty. Weighing in, Professor Peter Baur from the School of Economics at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) told IOL that it was hard to determine causality at the moment, given that the formation of the GNU is so recent. But he said the real consequences of the GNU on economic growth will still take some time to determine. Given the extent of global uncertainty, these will be challenging times going forward for the GNU. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Given the escalation in the Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East as well as the impact of global trade policies through the Trump administration, Baur said it was difficult to determine the real impact of the GNU on investor confidence. He said credit rating agencies will most likely be influenced by Reserve Bank action on inflation and the extent of debt to GDP will still take time to mitigate. The parties in the GNU have already shown thumps up to the unity, urging the business community to support them in their efforts to revive and improve the economy. Deputy President Paul Mashatile pleaded with investors and business leaders to join hands with the government to help the economy recover and grow. In his working visit to France last month, Mashatile said 'Investors have an opportunity to collaborate with the South African Government by investing in infrastructure such as ports, and rail.' "Moreover investors have an opportunity to collaborate with the South African Government by investing in infrastructure such as ports, rail, electricity, and manufacturing to improve local value-addition and boost trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area," he said.
