As tensions escalate within the GNU between the DA and ANC, the People's Movement for Change urges leaders to reassess their approach to unity, warning that ongoing budgetary disputes could jeopardize the stability of collaboration
Image: Henk Kruger/ Independent Newspapers
The People’s Movement for Change (PMC) has raised significant concerns over the actions of the Democratic Alliance (DA) within the Government of National Unity (GNU), alleging that the party is placing partisan interests ahead of essential national cohesion.
This criticism from the small opposition party comes amid ongoing tensions and unresolved disputes over the national budget, particularly regarding a proposed 0.5% VAT increase.
In a statement, PMC president Marius Fransman explained that the DA is utilising the budget speech as a "Trojan horse," ostensibly targeting the African National Congress (ANC) in a tactical move designed to undermine the internal unity of the GNU.
“Such actions raise serious questions about the DA's commitment to the broader national interest,” Fransman stated, noting the detrimental impact on cooperation and collaboration crucial for the GNU’s efficacy.
As reported by IOL on Tuesday morning, discussions aimed at resolving the long-standing deadlock over the national budget between the ANC and the DA have failed to yield a consensus.
Shortly before a Finance Committee meeting in Parliament, DA leader John Steenhuisen took to social media to highlight the ANC's refusal to solidify an agreement on key growth and spending reforms, claiming this impedes the GNU's objectives.
The ANC, which leads the GNU alongside the DA, has been at odds over the contentious VAT hike proposal - a point of conflict that has further complicated the coalition's operations.
Fransman emphasised the growing dysfunction within the GNU and specifically called attention to the DA's disruptive role.
“What was sold to the nation as a unity pact has increasingly revealed itself to be a dual-power arrangement with conflicting agendas and no collective mandate,” he argued.
Fransman further asserted that the DA's involvement in the GNU has consistently jeopardised the coherence of government policy.
“It has publicly opposed the government on key foreign policy issues through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), challenged fiscal and developmental strategies via National Treasury, and resisted transformation initiatives led by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition,” he added.
These actions, according to Fransman, signal a troubling trend where the DA prioritises self-interest at the expense of cohesiveness with its coalition partners.
“We must ask plainly: Why is the DA in the GNU?”
He stated that if the DA continues to contradict the government’s priorities and international stances while undermining economic reform efforts, its role appears intended to destabilise, rather than cooperate.
The political landscape, he argued, has given rise to dual power centres: one led by a president striving for national consensus, and another by a DA establishment directed by Helen Zille, who acts as if she possesses an unchallengeable claim to national wisdom without a social mandate to govern.
Fransman contended that South Africans did not vote for such a fragmented approach to governance, pointing out the absence of a unified policy programme within the GNU.
“There is no binding social contract between citizens and this formation,” he said.
“The DA uses its position not to build unity, but to evade accountability while preparing to point fingers at its political counterparts.”
The PMC is calling for a national reflection on whether such a coalition can truly claim to represent unity.
With the National Budget, including the controversial proposed VAT increase, set for voting on Wednesday, the ANC needs 42 votes for the budget to pass.
However, multiple opposition parties, including ActionSA, Build One South Africa (BOSA), and the MK Party, have already declared their opposition to any budget with the VAT hike.
The PMC is advocating for a People’s Dialogue, essential for establishing shared values rather than engaging in mere power deals.
“Unity must serve the people, not partisan agendas. The future cannot be negotiated in boardrooms. It must be built in communities,” Fransman said.
Meanwhile, Steenhuisen was scheduled to have a media briefing on Tuesday morning on several issues, including the controversial VAT increase, however, the briefing was postponed until further notice.
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
IOL Politics