After nearly 24 years in opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has finally ascended to the highest levels of South Africa’s government.
This achievement has seen it having to join hands with old foes and negotiate strategic compromises.
But even as it proceeds to work toward its vision of an open opportunity society from within, it continues to lock horns with its larger partner, the African National Congress (ANC) within the Government of National Unity (GNU).
This poses the question – will the DA see out the five years to the eighth administration?
“A date with destiny”
“A date with destiny”- that is how DA leader John Steenhuisen described the May 2024 elections at the party’s final rally just days before the polls.
“In this election and for the first time ever, the DA has a clear pathway into national government. By uniting with our partners inside the Multi-Party Charter, we have pooled together the biggest bloc of opposition votes since 1994. Together, we can get to the 50% plus-one we need to rescue South Africa.”
The groundwork had been laid just over 12 months prior.
In August 2023, the party outlined its strategy and campaign slogan – which was “Rescue South Africa“.
Moonshot Pact
The party then announced its antidote to the dystopian future it predicted – one of a country plunged into darkness following stage eight load shedding and under the yoke of a so-called mafia state, amongst other ills.
The moonshot pact – a reference to the monumental effort required to launch a spacecraft to the moon – was the plan to finally unseat the mighty ANC from power.
“We must do all in our power to build a strong and lasting pact against the ANC and EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) and I can report back that the moonshot pact is indeed starting to take shape in total. We have corresponded with the leaders of 15 different organisations asking us to join us in an effort to form a pre-election moonshot pact – the only opposition leaders that are not invited are those aligned to the ANC and EFF.”
Ultimately from an initial seven, 10 opposition parties joined the pre-election pact which became known as the Multi-Party Charter following a convention at which principles of cooperation and focus were agreed.
Importantly, while the parties agreed to cooperate, they would campaign independently of each other, with each having the responsibility to swell its support and ultimately add it to the opposition tally post-election.
The parties included the Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, ACDP, United Independent Movement, Spectrum National Party, the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa, the Ekhethu People’s Party and the United Christian Democratic Party.
Meanwhile, the pact’s nemesis, the EFF and ANC, were also engaged in furious campaigning as the polls approached.
ANC unshaken
In the midst of developments in the opposition camp, ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa, appeared unshaken.
“It’s a sideshow to us – they are entitled to hold conferences to do whatever. They will never be able to amass the support the ANC has which is solid support across the country. There is no organisation which has much reach to the people of South Africa as the ANC has.”
Formation of the GNU
An outright victory for any of the contesting parties was not to be however, necessitating negotiations on forming a Government of National Unity with willing partners as initiated by the ANC.
After much toing and froing which involved the DA, EFF as well as the new official opposition the uMkontho weSizwe Party adamantly refusing to work together, the GNU was formed.
It consisted of ten parties – the ANC, DA, IFP, Patriotic Alliance, FF Plus, UDM, PAC, Good Party, Al Jama-ah and newcomers Rise Mzansi.
Of the parties outside the ANC, the DA was the biggest beneficiary in the new executive – getting a total of 12 positions in cabinet with six ministers and six deputy ministers.
However a few weeks later in August, trouble appeared on the horizon sparked by DA Federal Council Chair Helen Zille’s comments made at an event at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation; a regular donor of the party.
“This of course is not a government of national unity because a government of national unity would have had to include all parties including the EFF and the MK Party which it did not but it still gave the president the figleaf he needed to bring in all sorts of smaller parties to say we are not in a coalition with the DA. Now, the truth is we are actually in a coalition because a coalition means that if a party withdraws from a coalition, the government falls.”
Zille also said that her party brought with it the backing of business; and its absence from the GNU would result in significant disinvestment in the country’s economy.
A war of words erupted, with the ANC rubbishing her claims, daring the party to leave the GNU as well as parties such as the EFF saying they knew all along that the GNU was a farce.
BELA Act contestation
However, it is the issue of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (BELA Act) that has really tested the GNU.
In a show of protest by her party, DA deployee to the GNU, Siviwe Gwarube, who serves as the minister of Basic Education, boycotted the public signing of the bill.
President Ramaphosa subsequently delayed for three months the implementation date of clauses 4 and 5 of the legislation, relating to issues of school admission and language policy for further consultation.
However, two months later, Gwarube quietly signed an agreement with the Afrikaaner-affiliated Solidarity union on the exercise of her powers and responsibilities on the implementation of the BELA Act.
Spokesperson in the Presidency Vincent Magwenya, said: “The agreement between the minister and Solidarity has no bearing – in law or practical effect – on the inclusive multiparty discussions that are underway on sections 4 and 5 of the Act. Furthermore, the agreement bears no influence on the president’s powers to ultimately take a decision regarding the commencement of the act.”
Eventually on the 20th of December, Ramaphosa signed the bill into law in its entirety following a compromise reached through the so-called “clearing house” committee.
It entails Gwarube putting in place the norms and standards for implementation, thus averting a possible GNU crisis.
Other hot topics that are likely to trigger discord will surely be the implementation of the National Health Insurance and foreign policy positions on the Russia Ukraine War and the situation in Gaza.
Whether these will lead to the implosion of the GNU as we know it or will be just part of the teething pains of growth is yet to be seen.
