MANDY WIENER: GNU needs agreed policy agenda to stop squabbles

Right now, it would be easy to write this headline: ‘Cracks deepen within the GNU’. Different views on international relations and the polarised positions on South Africa’s so-called friendship with Russia have been loud and glaring. But we would be fools to think that this was not always going to happen as long as the Government of National Unity didn’t have a clear agreed policy agenda in place. 

The Bela Bill. NHI. International Relations. These were always going to be the friction points between the major parties in the GNU and one-by-one they are playing out. 

If you missed it, the latest fallout is over the President’s visit to Russia to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Summit. Notably, the President led a delegation which reportedly did not include any cabinet ministers from parties other than the ANC. Ramaphosa was quoted as saying that, “Russia is a valuable ally and friend”. 

John Steenhuisen, the leader of the Democratic Alliance and a GNU cabinet minister, released a statement on Wednesday saying, “Putin is your ally, Mr President, not South Africa’s”.

“As Leader of the Democratic Alliance in the GNU, I reiterate the importance of positions expressed on behalf of the GNU being subject to full and proper debate within the government mechanisms before being announced as positions of the GNU to ensure maximum consensus and agreement amongst the parties to the GNU,” read Steenhuisen’s statement. 

In response, the ANC accused Steenhuisen of attempting to use the coalition government to micromanage the country’s head of state. 

ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane says the denunciation showed Steenhuisen’s limited understanding of how the GNU functions.

The DA, she says, despite being part of the GNU, had no role in dictating the country’s approach to foreign policy.

"We’ve all agreed, even in the statement of intent, that they remain outside of any area of negotiation or bargaining. Our foreign policy remains."

Minister of Sport and leader of the Patriotic Alliance Gayton McKenzie was also quick to rebuke Steenhuisen on X. 

While these are not real cracks that could break apart the GNU, they do point to a fundamental problem in how the GNU operates. 

Since being re-elected as President, Ramaphosa has displayed very little to no actual consultation with the GNU parties in how government is run. The deal has been done and now that he is ensconced at the Union Buildings, he is continuing to run the country as he did during his first administration in charge. 

This was demonstrated in how he approached the Bela Bill signing and now how he approached foreign policy. There is little to no regard for the Statement of Intent signed between the GNU parties. ANC policy remains government policy. 

According to the Statement of Intent, there must be ‘sufficient consensus’ when it comes to agreeing on a policy agenda. “The parties to this GNU Statement of Intent shall, following the formation of the GNU, hold a Lekgotla (Strategy Session) to develop an agreed policy agenda, which shall include policy priorities for the GNU”. 

This policy agenda is yet to materialise and in the absence of an agreed policy agenda, existing government policy remains. 

There is also still no clear deadlock-breaking mechanism. Deputy President Paul Mashatile hosted GNU members at Tuynhuys on Wednesday to discuss how disagreements would be resolved. 

The DA did not get into government to prop up the ANC and to drive that party’s policies (as my colleague Clement Manyathela explained on his show on 702 this week), they are there to represent their constituency. 

However, the DA would have anticipated that this was how the GNU would roll and would have expected as much from a coalition with the ANC. They are obligated to protest when Ramaphosa operates with disregard for the other parties. But it is not going to lead to the DA leaving the GNU if polling continues to show there is increased support for the party while it remains in government. 

The DA does its own internal polling which will tell the party’s leadership that its support is ticking up. The Social Research Foundation released polling recently which shows that support for all parties in the GNU has increased since going into government. 

This is all that matters right now. 

But for the GNU to function optimally, Ramaphosa and the ANC are going to have to concede to discussions around an agreed policy agenda. The ANC cannot continue to run the country as if it won an outright majority. But the DA will also have to concede that it took the decision to go into government and now must live with it.