Latest news with #GovernmentOfNationalUnity
Mail & Guardian
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Editorial: Whose dialogue is it anyway?
The government of national unity. Photo: @Presidency/ZA/X The National Dialogue has not even begun and has already become irrevocably politically tainted — exactly the thing it was not supposed to be. Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen declared three weeks ago that his party would be withdrawing from the process after its deputy minister, Andrew Whitfield, was sacked while ANC corruption-accused ministers remained in their jobs. Those of an ANC inclination have flipped the allegation and said the DA is using the occasion for political point scoring. Former president Thabo Mbeki added his voice to the mêlée in an open letter to Steenhuisen. He subtly reminded everyone that it was he who first put forward the idea of a dialogue early last year. President Cyril Ramaphosa, meanwhile, is insistent that the event will not — contrary to common scepticism — be a talkshop and will benefit the ordinary person. Of course, the ordinary person has come to despise the political wrangling that has characterised South Africa's public space. The wrangling that has threatened the government of national unity time and again over the last year. Exactly the type of wrangling that we're now watching. It's difficult to trace the genesis of the idea of a 'national dialogue'. It's not one that belongs to Mbeki or Ramaphosa. Or anybody else. The theme of dialogue is a common one in the country and is writ large in our history. The conferences and conversations that took place in and around the dying days of apartheid were a prerequisite to the democracy we enjoy today. Such is the hatred in our past that the South African project cannot exist on an unspoken social contract. It's an ideal we all have to explicitly buy into. As the rapidly declining election turnout figures tell us, the bickering political world is floating away and is no longer tethered to the realities that the rest of us face. That is why sentiments for a 'national dialogue' have been simmering and murmured with increasing vigour over the last decade — long before any politician verbalised them. Even setting aside the purported gargantuan cost (another matter entirely), how can we take as legitimate a series of conversations that will invariably not represent all national interests and between people who are clearly not capable of civil dialogue? The irony will not be lost on most South Africans. They are desperate for a national dialogue of some form, but the platform they are now offered is being undermined by the very people who have necessitated it.
Arab News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
UN mission in Libya urges immediate de-escalation in Tripoli
TRIPOLI: The UN Mission in Libya urged on Wednesday all Libyan parties to avoid actions or political rhetoric that could trigger escalation or renewed clashes in Tripoli, following reports of continued military buildup in and around the city. Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Al-Dbeibah ordered in May the dismantling of what he called irregular armed groups, which was followed by Tripoli's fiercest clashes in years between two armed groups that killed at least eight civilians. 'The Mission continues its efforts to help de-escalate the situation and calls on all parties to engage in good faith toward this end ... Forces recently deployed in Tripoli must withdraw without delay,' the UN Mission said on social media. A Tripoli-based Government of National Unity under Al-Dbeibah was installed through a UN-backed process in 2021 but the Benghazi-based House of Representatives no longer recognizes its legitimacy. Libya has had little stability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted longtime autocrat Muammar Qaddafi. The country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions, though an outbreak of major warfare paused with a truce in 2020. While eastern Libya has been dominated for a decade by commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army, control in Tripoli and western Libya has been splintered among numerous armed factions.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Africa's political marriage of convenience avoids divorce
South Africa's two biggest political parties are in an unhappy marriage, but neither side wants to file divorce papers as it could damage them and, ultimately, their offspring - South African voters. But as the children of all toxic relationships know, it can be painful to watch the tantrums played out in public as each side tries to prove they are the better parent. The loveless union in this case is what is called the Government of National Unity (GNU) - which was formed in the wake of elections last year when the African National Congress (ANC), the party that brought in democratic rule in 1994 with Nelson Mandela, lost its parliamentary majority. Its arch rival, the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) party, agreed to join the ANC as its biggest partner in a coalition, which has just celebrated its first year anniversary. There was no popping of champagne - there have only been cross words. But the two leaders, President Cyril Ramaphosa of the ANC and John Steenhuisen of the DA, have shown how their partnership can ideally work when they supported each other in the Oval Office showdown with US President Donald Trump in May. After Trump confronted the delegation with a video in support of discredited claims of a white genocide in South Africa, it was Steenhuisen - the agriculture minister in Ramaphosa's cabinet - who assured the US president that the majority of white farmers wanted to stay in the country. Their performance proved to South Africans the GNU was worth the bickering at home. Together the unlikely pair hold the political middle ground in South Africa and have the potential to be a stabilising force - this is certainly the opinion of big business. Their alliance initially raised some eyebrows, given that that they were opposed "ideologically [and] historically", but the business community largely welcomed the move, political analyst Dr Levy Ndou told the BBC. For the DA it was a chance to get its hands on the levers of power - and stop what it regards as radical opposition parties like uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) forming a "Doomsday coalition" with the ANC. Both these parties are led by former ANC officials whom Ramaphosa would rather not cosy up to - plus it would make the cabinet even more of a battleground. Investors would also not be happy - and Ramaphosa would be left with more of a migraine than a headache. However, as any relationship counsellor will tell you, you cannot force someone to change their behaviour. "This GNU... does not mean that the ANC or DA will change their characters," said Dr Ndou, who is based at the Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa. "The ANC will always want to push the transformation agenda, the DA will always come with pushback strategies and... that will be a permanent source of conflict in the GNU." The latest crisis - over Ramaphosa's sacking of Andrew Whitfield, a deputy minister from the DA party - has really upset Steenhuisen, who held a press conference detailing his heartfelt complaints. These include Ramaphosa's decisions to push ahead with various bits of controversial legislation "that have far-reaching consequences for our economy and economic growth as has been seen by the reaction form some of South Africa's largest trading partners". This is a reference to the US's anger over the law that will give the state the power to expropriate some privately owned land without compensation for owners. "This was done without even the common courtesy of informing the fellow partners in the government of national unity about his intention to do so," said Steenhuisen. He also spoke about the budget crisis, when in March Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana proposed hiking VAT by 2%. The backlash - which included court action, led by the DA - forced him to scrap the proposal. It is not the only time the DA has taken legal action - playing the opposition card whilst being part of the GNU. Its opposition to the Expropriation Act is at odds with the fact that Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson - a member of the DA - has defended the legislation and will be in charge of implementing it. It points to divisions within the DA - with one wing led by Steenhuisen believing it is better to be in the tent, but another conservative faction angered by what it sees as the ANC's "hypocrisy". "In some cases, DA ministers have literally achieved more in 12 months than ANC ministers did in 30 years," Steenhuisen said. Yet, nodding to critics within the party, he came down hard on alleged cabinet corruption by ANC members: "The president's refusal to act against corruption within his own ranks, but singling out as a priority a DA minister risks confirming that his oft-repeated public commitment to clean governance is a sham." This meant, Steenhuisen said, that the DA would not back the budgets for departments led by those it considered corrupt, which includes higher education, led by Nobuhle Nkabane. She has been under fire for appointing ANC politicians to chair various vocational training boards - and for allegedly misleading parliament about their appointment. Ramaphosa had refused to comply with a DA ultimatum, after Whitfield's sacking, to remove her and others the party considers corrupt. Yet the president too has to deal with factions in his party - there are agitators, like his deputy, who would prefer the EFF. To some extent Ramaphosa has allowed the DA to continue playing a dual role - of opposition and GNU member - but at times he likes to make it clear who is boss. This is what happened over Whitfield's dismissal as deputy trade minister - sacked for taking an unsanctioned trip in February. When South Africa's relationship with the US had taken a nose-dive earlier in the year, Whitfield had travelled to the US as part of a DA delegation. He had repeatedly asked for permission to do so, but received no answer from the presidency. The 42-year-old is from the Eastern Cape province, the heart of South Africa's car industry which benefits from the US's African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). This legislation guarantees duty-free access to American consumers for certain goods from Africa. Agoa - brought in 25 years ago by former US President Bill Clinton - is up for renewal this year but some fear this will not happen given Trump's tariff wars and a Republican-dominated Congress. Whitfield went to the US as part of the DA delegation to lobby for South Africa to stay in Agoa, which also benefits Steenhuisen's agricultural portfolio. For Steenhuisen, the ANC's alleged lack of collaboration has meant a failure to create jobs and the GNU stalling on its economic growth targets. Political analyst Sandile Swana believes that Ramaphosa and the ANC may be dissatisfied by some of the DA's dramatic antics - with court action and ultimatums - but are reluctant to split ways completely. He blames a lack of self confidence, telling the BBC: "The current ANC has a big inferiority complex and they are dependent on big business and the DA." Dr Ndou also suggests Ramaphosa may be playing it diplomatically, not wanting to be the side to initiate a divorce because the ANC would not want "everyone to say they have kicked the DA out of government." Both parties would likely be punished by voters if this was the case. "There is no way that the DA would easily take a decision to pull out of the GNU. It is in the interest of the DA, as a party, and those who are appointed as ministers [to stay]," the academic said. Mr Swana believes the coalition government as a whole "is a marketing platform" for all parties, which are using it to campaign ahead of next year's local government elections. And the DA did make it clear at the weekend that there would not be a big bang announcement of them quitting the GNU, but Steenhuisen cautioned that the party's executive had considered launching a motion of no confidence in the president in parliament - and might do so in the future. "It is clear that the DA is in the process of losing confidence in the president's ability to act as a leader not only of the ANC, but of the GNU of which we are the second largest component," Steenhuisen said. Ramaphosa was clearly rattled over the weekend - South Africa's TimeLive news site reported he cancelled an official trip to Spain at the last minute as he awaited the DA's decision on the future of the GNU. Steenhuisen's speech did reveal what seems to be a real communication breakdown in the coalition - with the DA leader blaming Ramaphosa for failing to bring the GNU party leaders together to iron things out after a crisis. "Similarly a proposed breakaway for the cabinet to deal with how we interact with each other and resolve disputes that will inevitably arise in a government made up of 10 political parties, a year later nothing has happened," he said. "No breakaway, no dialogue and no mechanisms internally to determine how we deal with disputes between each other when they arise." A marriage counsellor would surely suggest they stop squabbling and sit down and talk frankly - without the megaphone politics. South Africa in 'uncharted waters' as budget splits coalition government Unpacking the South African land law that so inflames Trump How Ramaphosa might gain from US showdown Ramaphosa fires stinging rebuke at coalition partner Is South Africa's coalition government about to fall apart? Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
South Africa's GNU: Why ANC and DA will not leave toxic pairing
South Africa's two biggest political parties are in an unhappy marriage, but neither side wants to file divorce papers as it could damage them and, ultimately, their offspring - South African as the children of all toxic relationships know, it can be painful to watch the tantrums played out in public as each side tries to prove they are the better loveless union in this case is what is called the Government of National Unity (GNU) - which was formed in the wake of elections last year when the African National Congress (ANC), the party that brought in democratic rule in 1994 with Nelson Mandela, lost its parliamentary arch rival, the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) party, agreed to join the ANC as its biggest partner in a coalition, which has just celebrated its first year anniversary. There was no popping of champagne - there have only been cross the two leaders, President Cyril Ramaphosa of the ANC and John Steenhuisen of the DA, have shown how their partnership can ideally work when they supported each other in the Oval Office showdown with US President Donald Trump in Trump confronted the delegation with a video in support of discredited claims of a white genocide in South Africa, it was Steenhuisen - the agriculture minister in Ramaphosa's cabinet - who assured the US president that the majority of white farmers wanted to stay in the performance proved to South Africans the GNU was worth the bickering at the unlikely pair hold the political middle ground in South Africa and have the potential to be a stabilising force - this is certainly the opinion of big alliance initially raised some eyebrows, given that that they were opposed "ideologically [and] historically", but the business community largely welcomed the move, political analyst Dr Levy Ndou told the the DA it was a chance to get its hands on the levers of power - and stop what it regards as radical opposition parties like uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) forming a "Doomsday coalition" with the these parties are led by former ANC officials whom Ramaphosa would rather not cosy up to - plus it would make the cabinet even more of a would also not be happy - and Ramaphosa would be left with more of a migraine than a as any relationship counsellor will tell you, you cannot force someone to change their behaviour."This GNU... does not mean that the ANC or DA will change their characters," said Dr Ndou, who is based at the Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa."The ANC will always want to push the transformation agenda, the DA will always come with pushback strategies and... that will be a permanent source of conflict in the GNU." The latest crisis - over Ramaphosa's sacking of Andrew Whitfield, a deputy minister from the DA party - has really upset Steenhuisen, who held a press conference detailing his heartfelt include Ramaphosa's decisions to push ahead with various bits of controversial legislation "that have far-reaching consequences for our economy and economic growth as has been seen by the reaction form some of South Africa's largest trading partners".This is a reference to the US's anger over the law that will give the state the power to expropriate some privately owned land without compensation for owners."This was done without even the common courtesy of informing the fellow partners in the government of national unity about his intention to do so," said also spoke about the budget crisis, when in March Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana proposed hiking VAT by 2%.The backlash - which included court action, led by the DA - forced him to scrap the is not the only time the DA has taken legal action - playing the opposition card whilst being part of the opposition to the Expropriation Act is at odds with the fact that Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson - a member of the DA - has defended the legislation and will be in charge of implementing points to divisions within the DA - with one wing led by Steenhuisen believing it is better to be in the tent, but another conservative faction angered by what it sees as the ANC's "hypocrisy"."In some cases, DA ministers have literally achieved more in 12 months than ANC ministers did in 30 years," Steenhuisen nodding to critics within the party, he came down hard on alleged cabinet corruption by ANC members: "The president's refusal to act against corruption within his own ranks, but singling out as a priority a DA minister risks confirming that his oft-repeated public commitment to clean governance is a sham."This meant, Steenhuisen said, that the DA would not back the budgets for departments led by those it considered corrupt, which includes higher education, led by Nobuhle has been under fire for appointing ANC politicians to chair various vocational training boards - and for allegedly misleading parliament about their had refused to comply with a DA ultimatum, after Whitfield's sacking, to remove her and others the party considers the president too has to deal with factions in his party - there are agitators, like his deputy, who would prefer the some extent Ramaphosa has allowed the DA to continue playing a dual role - of opposition and GNU member - but at times he likes to make it clear who is is what happened over Whitfield's dismissal as deputy trade minister - sacked for taking an unsanctioned trip in South Africa's relationship with the US had taken a nose-dive earlier in the year, Whitfield had travelled to the US as part of a DA delegation. He had repeatedly asked for permission to do so, but received no answer from the 42-year-old is from the Eastern Cape province, the heart of South Africa's car industry which benefits from the US's African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). This legislation guarantees duty-free access to American consumers for certain goods from - brought in 25 years ago by former US President Bill Clinton - is up for renewal this year but some fear this will not happen given Trump's tariff wars and a Republican-dominated went to the US as part of the DA delegation to lobby for South Africa to stay in Agoa, which also benefits Steenhuisen's agricultural portfolio. For Steenhuisen, the ANC's alleged lack of collaboration has meant a failure to create jobs and the GNU stalling on its economic growth analyst Sandile Swana believes that Ramaphosa and the ANC may be dissatisfied by some of the DA's dramatic antics - with court action and ultimatums - but are reluctant to split ways blames a lack of self confidence, telling the BBC: "The current ANC has a big inferiority complex and they are dependent on big business and the DA."Dr Ndou also suggests Ramaphosa may be playing it diplomatically, not wanting to be the side to initiate a divorce because the ANC would not want "everyone to say they have kicked the DA out of government."Both parties would likely be punished by voters if this was the case."There is no way that the DA would easily take a decision to pull out of the GNU. It is in the interest of the DA, as a party, and those who are appointed as ministers [to stay]," the academic Swana believes the coalition government as a whole "is a marketing platform" for all parties, which are using it to campaign ahead of next year's local government the DA did make it clear at the weekend that there would not be a big bang announcement of them quitting the GNU, but Steenhuisen cautioned that the party's executive had considered launching a motion of no confidence in the president in parliament - and might do so in the future."It is clear that the DA is in the process of losing confidence in the president's ability to act as a leader not only of the ANC, but of the GNU of which we are the second largest component," Steenhuisen was clearly rattled over the weekend - South Africa's TimeLive news site reported he cancelled an official trip to Spain at the last minute as he awaited the DA's decision on the future of the speech did reveal what seems to be a real communication breakdown in the coalition - with the DA leader blaming Ramaphosa for failing to bring the GNU party leaders together to iron things out after a crisis."Similarly a proposed breakaway for the cabinet to deal with how we interact with each other and resolve disputes that will inevitably arise in a government made up of 10 political parties, a year later nothing has happened," he said."No breakaway, no dialogue and no mechanisms internally to determine how we deal with disputes between each other when they arise."A marriage counsellor would surely suggest they stop squabbling and sit down and talk frankly - without the megaphone politics. More BBC stories on South Africa: South Africa in 'uncharted waters' as budget splits coalition governmentUnpacking the South African land law that so inflames TrumpHow Ramaphosa might gain from US showdownRamaphosa fires stinging rebuke at coalition partnerIs South Africa's coalition government about to fall apart? Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Mail & Guardian
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
The real test isn't the GNU — it's whether voters see through the elites
The public must not be deceived by politicians' use of democratic language to obscure anti-democratic actions. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G) When President Cyril Ramaphosa But this moment is not about one person, one party or a fragile coalition. It reveals a big problem in our politics — leaders from different parties are working more to protect each other than serve the public, slowly damaging South Africa's democracy. Unless voters develop the political maturity to challenge this culture, the cycle of self-interest and manufactured outrage will persist. What played out between the ANC and the DA reveals more than a disagreement over executive conduct. It is another episode in a long-standing drama where displays of outrage mask deeper consensus among elites to preserve power. Today, South African voters are caught in a cycle of manufactured division, where dramatic performances of principle often hide narrow, short-term power plays. The DA claims Whitfield was fired for 'fighting corruption', specifically for exposing irregularities around the This is not new. The ANC has long protected its Likewise, More concerning is that this culture has not only persisted but become more entrenched under the government of national unity (GNU). The DA is hardly innocent. While the party frames Whitfield's dismissal as political punishment, it continues to benefit from its insider role in a government it often discredits. Its indignation feels opportunistic, especially given that it was silent during other troubling appointments and when coalition negotiations yielded power-sharing privileges. The point is not which party is worse. Both have become fluent in using democratic language to obscure anti-democratic habits. So, what are voters to make of all this? They should resist being drawn into a false binary, ANC vs DA, and instead start asking deeper questions. What are both parties really trying to protect? Who benefits from these political distractions? What does it cost South Africans when political theatre replaces meaningful reform? The South Africa needs a leadership change and a fundamental shift in civic expectations. It needs a public that demands transparency and interrogates motives, not just actions. Let's also not forget that, for centuries, In the end, the Whitfield affair is not just a test of the GNU. It's a test of us, the voters. If we fail to ask harder questions now, we risk being governed, not by public servants, but by elites brokering influence behind closed doors, while we pay the price. It's time for voters to stop watching from the sidelines and start holding every politician in every party truly accountable. Zimkhitha Manyana is an international relations lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand and recently obtained his PhD in Political Science from the University of Johannesburg.
