Deputy president Paul Mashatile announces the ANC's plan to reconfigure the alliance, aiming to strengthen the Government of National Unity by fostering broader collaboration and engaging all parties in decision-making.
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Deputy President Paul Mashatile has reiterated the Government of National Unity's (GNU) commitment to unity, despite ongoing challenges.
Speaking at the commemoration of Chris Hani's 32nd anniversary, Mashatile stressed that the GNU is not simply an agreement between two political parties, but a coalition of ten parties working together to tackle South Africa's most pressing issues.
''The Government of National Unity has had a lot of challenges in the past, but those did not lead to its collapse,'' he said.
Mashatile said: "We continue, and we will continue, to consider the GNU as an agreement, not between two parties. It's not an agreement of the ANC and the Democratic Alliance (DA). It's an agreement of ten parties."
Mashatile’s comments follow the passing of the 2025 fiscal framework last Wednesday, which garnered 194 votes in favor from the ANC, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the Patriotic Alliance, and ActionSA, among others.
Meanwhile, the DA, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) voted against it, with 182 votes in opposition. The fiscal framework includes a controversial 0.5% VAT increase proposed by the National Treasury, which has sparked significant backlash from opposition parties.
In response to the fiscal framework, the EFF has filed court papers in the Western Cape High Court to challenge the National Assembly’s adoption of the 2025 Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals, deeming it unlawful and unconstitutional.
The DA has also filed papers in the same court to challenge the legality of the 2025/26 National Budget process. The DA is seeking an interdict to prevent the South African Revenue Service (SARS) from implementing the VAT increase on March 1, arguing that it will unduly burden South Africans with higher living costs.
According to Mashatile, the government’s focus should be on prioritising the people’s challenges rather than narrow political interests.
"When we deal with issues in the GNU, we deal with these issues as all parties, all of us, working together, prioritising the challenges that the people of South Africa are facing," Mashatile said, reaffirming the government's collective commitment to finding solutions.
Mashatile also highlighted the ANC's decision to reconfigure the alliance, a move intended to bring more parties into the fold to strengthen the GNU.
"The leadership of the ANC, after what has happened recently, decided that we are going to reconfigure the alliance.
"We are going to reconfigure the GNU to ensure that we bring other parties on board, work with us, but also to ensure that we discuss this properly with all the parties," Mashatile said.
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