The Government of National Unity (GNU), to all our relief, hit the 100 Day milestone in early October. But this hasn’t been without its challenges. From the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (BELA) to Helen Zille’s annoying jabs, the GNU is always seemingly on shaky ground. Let’s have a look at what’s been happening since we last told you about them:

🔹 Deputy President Paul Mashatile told City Press that the GNU would survive if one or more parties left. This was in response to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) near-constant exit threats. In September, the DA threatened to leave the GNU if President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the BELA bill. They’re opposed to two clauses in the bill, which propose that a school governing body submit its language and admissions policy to the provincial head of department for approval. The president signed the bill into law but delayed the implementation of the two contentious clauses for three months for further discussions. This did not stop the DA from marching earlier this month with the Afrikaans rights organisation Afriforum against it.

Mashatile said the GNU isn’t just about the African National Congress (ANC) and the DA.  “I always tell those who ask me what would happen if the DA pulled out that the GNU would continue. We’d simply invite others wanting to join it,” he said. 

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In an exclusive conversation with the deputy president Paul Mashatile in Midrand. The story in tomorrow’s City Press.

♬ original sound – City Press

🔹 In early November, ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula told DA Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille that she (and, by extension, the DA) were welcome to leave the GNU if they wanted. Mbalula said that Zille’s constant remarks about the ANC were attempts to make herself seem influential in the GNU while she was not. “The divisive narrative they are pushing lacks historical truth and relevance to our transformation efforts. Zille’s intent is clear, and that is to delegitimise the ANC’s leadership and derail the transformative projects central to our NDR [National Democratic Revolution],” said Mbalula. The comments came after Zille claimed that big business had begged the DA to save the president from the EFF and MK Party. These comments were made at the SA-UK Chamber of Commerce Roundtable in October. Zille has denied this, saying that her critics had based their criticisms on “a single decontextualised sentence plucked from a long question-and-answer session.” 

🔹 Meanwhile, other leaders in the GNU have called the constant back-and-forths “silly.” United Democratic Front leader Bantu Holomisa said internal remedies exist within the cabinet to solve challenges. “But this thing of going to the media and even attacking your boss—I don’t think it’s wise,” he said. He said how the ANC and DA dealt with each other was not “in the good spirit of the GNU.” Holomisa, who is the deputy minister of defence, praised the president, saying that he (Ramaphosa) had been good to all ministers and their deputies and brought them under one roof whenever something was wrong.

Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie has called for unity in the GNU, warning that without a united front, South Africa faced a “Zuma tsunami.” He’s referring to the in-roads made by former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party). McKenzie, who is serving as sports, arts and culture minister, said that only the GNU could stop Zuma and the MK Party. “If they are not careful, Zuma is going to become the biggest party – and the GNU is the only thing that can stop Zuma, not the ANC, the GNU,” he said.

While fears that the GNU might crumble are alarmist, they’re not without merit. For example, Germany’s historic three-party coalition government collapsed after finance minister Christian Lindner from the Freedom Democratic Party (FDP) proposed early elections and was sacked by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is from the Social Democratic Party (SDP). If Germany, usually known for its stable government, could face a coalition collapse, what about the GNU? Let’s hope it’s as resilient as South Africans and weathers the storms.