ActionSA declines participation in Government of National Unity amidst scathing review
ActionSA's parliamentary leader Athol Trollip says ActionSA is not joining the GNU.
Image: Henk Kruger/Independent Newspapers
ActionSA has made a U-turn on its interest in joining the Government of National Unity (GNU) just two months after it partnered with the ANC, which leads the GNU, in passing the Budget vote.
The party released its "GNU Performance Tracker" on Tuesday, which aims to objectively assess the coalition government's performance last year.
The tracker paints a bleak picture of the government's failures, awarding it a series of failing grades across six critical themes, including ethical leadership and public service, the economy, infrastructure, basic services, education, and crime.
Despite indications from its leader, Herman Mashaba, just months ago that it may consider joining the coalition, that includes the DA, Action SA has slammed the GNU effectively ruling out joining.
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 ✕
A while ago the party saved the ANC from being embarrassed after it voted with them during the passing of the 0.5 percentage point VAT hike and the fiscal framework document in parliament.
Mashaba, at the time, had shown interest in joining the GNU.
However, ActionSA's parliamentary leader, Athol Trollip, has ruled out these assertions, saying his party would rather focus on being a constructive opposition.
Trollip said supporting the ANC in passing the Budget did not mean they were interested in joining the GNU.
'We have always maintained that the ANC when we were backing them during the budget battle, that we didn't want any incentives or to be part of the GNU,' he reportedly said.
He added that his party did not regret its decision not to join the GNU arrangement a year ago.
While the EFF and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party also widely criticised the GNU's performance one year on, ActionSA gave the government an F for leadership and public service, citing excessive government spending and criticising the size of the "bloated cabinet".
ActionSA MP Alan Beasley painted a grim picture of unemployment and the economy, awarding the government an F-grade.
"In South Africa, we have 8.3 million people unemployed. There are a further 3.5 million workers who have been discouraged who have given up looking for work. So, there are nearly 12 million South Africans that are unemployed — 12 million South Africans that are being psychologically murdered because of unemployment," Beasley said.
ActionSA's education assessment revealed critical systemic failures, with the high school dropout rate alarming. Only 53.6% of students who start grade 10 complete matric, a number that had dropped from 55.3% in 2024. The crime landscape also remained dire, with a staggering 5,727 murders recorded between January and March 2025.
"We don't want to be in the Government of National Unity. We are perfectly placed between a hegemonic GNU and a big, but hopeless opposition," Trollip said.
He said the party will focus on being a constructive opposition, supporting where it can and opposing where it must.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Parliament demands criminal probe into Minister Nkabane over SETA scandal
MPs want Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane to be probed for misleading Parliament and manipulating the selection process to benefit ANC allies into SETA board appointment saga Image: GCIS In a dramatic escalation of the SETA board appointment scandal, members of Parliament have called for a criminal investigation into Higher Education Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, accusing her of misleading Parliament and manipulating the selection process to benefit politically connected allies. The portfolio committee has urged the committee leadership to formally complain in terms of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliaments and Provincial Legislatures Act. The move could pave the way for unprecedented legal action against Nkabane over a controversial board appointment process riddled with allegations of cronyism and political interference. At the heart of the storm is Nkabane's refusal—until recently—to reveal the names of the five-member panel responsible for selecting new SETA board chairpersons. Though she eventually disclosed most of the names under mounting pressure, MPs say she omitted a critical individual and accuse her of lying to Parliament about the panel's independence. Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Karabo Khakhau has reported Nkabane to the Ethics Committee for allegedly misleading Parliament over the independent panel that recommended the chairpersons. 'Affidavit signed and commissioned. Nkabane must appear before the Ethics Committee for lying to Parliament and, by extension, the people of RSA,' she said in a post on X. This is after Khakhau demanded full disclosure of the final names, accusing the minister of deliberately withholding it and misleading the committee. ANC MP, David Kgabo, added fuel to the fire, describing the so-called independent panel as effectively an extension of the director-general's office, raising serious questions about the integrity of the process. Committee chairperson, Tebogo Letsie, confirmed that the committee would pursue legal avenues in line with parliamentary rules governing dishonesty before the legislature. "We will not be complicit in attempts to undermine parliamentary oversight," he said. 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 On Tuesday, Letsie welcomed the submission of a letter containing the names of panel members appointed to oversee the selection and recommendation of board chairpersons for SETA. The panel members, as stated by the minister, are: - Advocate Terry Motau (chair), though he did not attend the committee meetings. - Asisipho Solani. - Nelisiwe Semane. - Mabuza Ngubane. - Rhulani Ngwenya. This controversy follows a heated backlash in May when Nkabane's list of recommended appointees to the SETA boards included a series of politically connected figures—among them, Buyambo Mantashe, son of Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe; former KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube; KwaZulu-Natal transport head Siboniso Mbhele; and ANC Johannesburg deputy regional secretary Loyiso Masuku. Despite repeated requests, Nkabane initially refused to reveal who selected these appointees, deepening suspicions of political patronage and triggering calls for transparency and accountability. The selection process has since been abandoned, but MPs insisted the damage to institutional credibility demands consequences. As Parliament weighs its next move, the scandal has thrust issues of transparency, political interference, and ministerial accountability back into the national spotlight, raising the stakes not just for Nkabane but for the integrity of South Africa's public institutions. IOL Politics
IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
ActionSA declines participation in Government of National Unity amidst scathing review
ActionSA's parliamentary leader Athol Trollip says ActionSA is not joining the GNU. Image: Henk Kruger/Independent Newspapers ActionSA has made a U-turn on its interest in joining the Government of National Unity (GNU) just two months after it partnered with the ANC, which leads the GNU, in passing the Budget vote. The party released its "GNU Performance Tracker" on Tuesday, which aims to objectively assess the coalition government's performance last year. The tracker paints a bleak picture of the government's failures, awarding it a series of failing grades across six critical themes, including ethical leadership and public service, the economy, infrastructure, basic services, education, and crime. Despite indications from its leader, Herman Mashaba, just months ago that it may consider joining the coalition, that includes the DA, Action SA has slammed the GNU effectively ruling out joining. 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 ✕ A while ago the party saved the ANC from being embarrassed after it voted with them during the passing of the 0.5 percentage point VAT hike and the fiscal framework document in parliament. Mashaba, at the time, had shown interest in joining the GNU. However, ActionSA's parliamentary leader, Athol Trollip, has ruled out these assertions, saying his party would rather focus on being a constructive opposition. Trollip said supporting the ANC in passing the Budget did not mean they were interested in joining the GNU. 'We have always maintained that the ANC when we were backing them during the budget battle, that we didn't want any incentives or to be part of the GNU,' he reportedly said. He added that his party did not regret its decision not to join the GNU arrangement a year ago. While the EFF and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party also widely criticised the GNU's performance one year on, ActionSA gave the government an F for leadership and public service, citing excessive government spending and criticising the size of the "bloated cabinet". ActionSA MP Alan Beasley painted a grim picture of unemployment and the economy, awarding the government an F-grade. "In South Africa, we have 8.3 million people unemployed. There are a further 3.5 million workers who have been discouraged who have given up looking for work. So, there are nearly 12 million South Africans that are unemployed — 12 million South Africans that are being psychologically murdered because of unemployment," Beasley said. ActionSA's education assessment revealed critical systemic failures, with the high school dropout rate alarming. Only 53.6% of students who start grade 10 complete matric, a number that had dropped from 55.3% in 2024. The crime landscape also remained dire, with a staggering 5,727 murders recorded between January and March 2025. "We don't want to be in the Government of National Unity. We are perfectly placed between a hegemonic GNU and a big, but hopeless opposition," Trollip said. He said the party will focus on being a constructive opposition, supporting where it can and opposing where it must.
Daily Maverick
6 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
SA needs structural reform and moral courage, not more fiscal tinkering
At the third time of asking, on Wednesday, 11 June, Parliament considered, debated and voted for the 2025 Fiscal Framework, the basis for the Government of National Unity's (GNU) very first budget. To paraphrase former US congressman and economist Phil Gramm, passing a pro-growth budget is like going to heaven – everybody wants to do it, but nobody wants to do what you have to do to get there. Unfortunately, the GNU was not willing to do what it takes, and instead pushed through a budget that will not produce the rapid investment and growth required to begin our journey out of the economic doldrums. Growth flat, investment dried up, and taxes on the rise. We will be back here next year, facing another round of tax increases, because there will have been little to no investment. A budget ought to be a blueprint for progress. A reflection of our values, our priorities and our path forward as a country. The 2025 Fiscal Framework was preceded by the GNU's 31 priorities in its Medium-Term Development Plan, a bold promise of reform and delivery. Yet the Fiscal Framework tabled in Parliament offers no clear roadmap for achieving those priorities. There is no strategic alignment between what the government says it wants to do and what it is willing to fund. Without that alignment, these priorities are reduced to political rhetoric. We've seen this playbook before. The National Development Plan (NDP), hailed over a decade ago as the blueprint for South Africa's long-term development, now serves more as a reminder of broken promises than a source of policy coherence. Most of its targets on jobs, education, crime reduction and infrastructure remain unmet. Over the past 10 years, our economy has grown at an anaemic average of less than 1% per year. In the most recent quarter, growth was a paltry 0.1%. The only sector showing sustained growth is financial services. Meanwhile, real economy, labour-absorbing sectors such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing, construction, trade and transport have all declined in their contribution to GDP. These are precisely the sectors that should be powering inclusive growth and job creation. Gross fixed-capital formation, which is the clearest indicator of future growth and productivity, remains stagnant at 4.2%. These numbers are warnings. And they are being ignored. The diplomatic disaster last month at the White House only confirmed what many investors already suspect: South Africa is becoming uninvestable. And we are seeing the consequences. I recently visited Accra, the capital of Ghana, and you can feel the difference in the air. Cranes fill the skyline, a clear signal of construction, investment and progress. How many cranes are visible in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban today? We cannot tax our way out of this crisis. We must invest our way out. And that means fundamentally rethinking how we use the public purse. We must prioritise investments that unlock growth – in infrastructure, digital connectivity and efficient public transport systems. We need to fast-track the rollout of modern special economic zones, backed by genuine incentives. Instead of bold reforms or pro-growth investments, the Budget leans on familiar and increasingly regressive tactics: raising taxes on the already-overburdened middle class and borrowing more from international lenders without a clear plan for debt repayment or structural reform. This year's tax increase comes disguised as 'bracket creep' in personal income taxes, effectively taxing South Africans more without explicitly changing the rates. Next year, there are already whispers of additional taxes on the horizon. The government is milking a shrinking base instead of expanding the economic pie. Years ago, when VAT was raised, we were promised serious spending reforms and a leaner, more effective state. That promise, too, has faded. The state remains bloated, with an oversized Cabinet and a civil service often rewarded more for loyalty than for performance. There are still no performance scorecards linked to Cabinet roles. There has been no movement on taxing high-turnover, high-risk sectors such as online gambling. And crucial functions such as policing and justice remain underfunded and underperforming. The human cost of this drift is staggering. Education budgets in key provinces such as Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and North West are taking a hit, on track to run out of funds to support teachers. Our doctor-to-patient ratio now stands at 1 to 3,000, a clear sign of a healthcare system under collapse. The National Prosecuting Authority continues to buckle under the weight of its mandate, unable to bring criminals to justice in a country overrun by corruption and violent crime. There are small signs of momentum. Minister Barbara Creecy's commitment to rail and transport reform is welcome. Fixing our logistics network is essential for reigniting growth in key sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. But isolated reforms are not enough. We need a coherent, national strategy backed by real budgetary commitments. I reject the idea that this is the best we can do. South Africa does not need more fiscal tinkering. We need structural reform and moral courage. I am proposing three immediate steps to be pursued in round two and three of the budget process , asParliament considers the Appropriations Bill and the Division of Revenue Bill. First, cut wasteful spending. Initiate independent, sector-wide spending reviews to reduce inefficiencies, and reallocate funds to frontline services. Second, legislate for investment. Pass laws that make South Africa the easiest place in Africa to do business. Prioritise local businesses with the same urgency we show global ones such as Starlink.
