If the African National Congress (ANC) gets its way, the Government of National Unity (GNU) model could be implemented in local councils across South Africa. 

The party is proposing the GNU approach to stabilise local government coalitions across South Africa, hoping to revive its political standing before the Local Government Elections in 2026.

The liberation movement had a tough election, during which its national support dropped to below 40% for the first time. This led to a GNU with the Democratic Alliance and eight other parties. Now, the ANC aims to renegotiate local coalitions based on shared objectives tailored to each municipality’s unique challenges. 

At the recent ANC Lekgotla, held two weeks ago, the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) agreed that the Minister of Trade and Industry, Parks Tau, in his capacity as an ANC member, should lead a task force to turn around the ANC’s struggling local governments. 

Johannesburg, where Tau served as mayor from 2011 to 2016, is set to be the first test of this model. However, in recent weeks, similar strategies have started playing out in places like the Oudtshoorn Local Municipality, where the Freedom Front Plus voted with the ANC and gave the DA’s Chris Macpherson the boot during a special council meeting on Thursday, 1 August.

While the Gauteng provincial leadership under Panyaza Lesufi has followed a different script from the national structures, Dada Morero’s election as Joburg’s mayor on Friday, 16 August, might see the metro adopting the program.

Talks are ongoing with various political parties across provinces to secure support for this strategy, particularly in hung councils where instability is rampant.

Critics, however, remain doubtful. Speaking to Financial Mail, political analyst Susan Booysen questioned whether the ANC can bring about real change in time for the 2026 Local Government Elections, pointing out that many of these issues have deep roots. “I think [that even if] they can have another 30 years they won’t be able to fix [things]. The problems are so immense, and two years is a very short time,” she said.

Booysen also argues that the ANC itself is the reason the instability it now seeks to fix exists.

Let’s hope that the ANC manages to achieve this, not so much for their political gain but to enable effective service delivery and stability to embattled councils all across SA. We all will rest a little easier knowing that our local governments work.