'Business is not elected': Ramaphosa on concerns of big business to keep GNU intact

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) says while it takes seriously the concerns of ‘big business’ to keep the Government of National Unity (GNU) intact, it won’t be dictated to by unelected groups. 

The national coalition government is on shaky ground after the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus voted against the recently passed budget in Parliament. 

READ: ANC puts special NEC meeting on ice, as big business lobbies to keep GNU intact

Some ANC leaders have suggested that cabinet members from these parties cannot be entrusted with implementing a budget they don’t believe in. 

The country’s top business leaders have written to the leaders of the DA and ANC to keep the current GNU intact.

They said it was important that there is stability in the national government to boost investor confidence. 

Speaking on the sidelines of an ANC event in Johannesburg on Sunday, party president Cyril Ramaphosa said he was taking seriously the concerns raised in the letter.

“Business is not elected, people who are in Parliament are the ones who have been elected to represent who, the views of everyone including the views of business people in the country. So the extent to which we co-operate with business must be understood to be a process and a relationship of operating to take the country forward and not to dictate to one another and that we will never allow. We are only dictated to by the people of South Africa. Finish and klaar.”

Ramaphosa said the ANC’s national working committee had been tasked with deliberating on the future of the GNU in light of the recent events.