President Cyril Ramaphosa announcing his Cabinet for the 7th administration. Picture: GCIS
After more than two weeks of bitter wrangling and letters to-and-fro between the main parties, South Africa finally has an executive that will have to drive common policy principles between the parties in the Government of National Unity.
Critics have labelled the GNU a sham, perhaps a more palatable way of characterising a coalition between the ANC and the DA.
Reading the teleprompter on Sunday night, the strain showed on the face of President Cyril Ramaphosa. He, along with John Steenhuisen and other signatories, now have the tough task of making it all work.
South Africans don’t just want to hear about the prospects of a roaring economy, they want to feel it in their pockets, and the ability to improve their lives and that of their children.
While the ANC, with its 40%, got the largest share of the votes in the May 29 elections, the fact that it failed to achieve a majority means that its policy proposals will need to be negotiated with its coalition partners – particularly the DA.
The natural urge for the DA might be to push right-leaning policies (cooked in an American lab), particularly in the ministries where it has taken charge.
The DA, like the other parties who accepted the ANC’s invitation, might find out that old habits, whether in the executive or the ministries they inherit, will die hard. Simply walking away, as Helen Zille discovered, is easier said than done.
For many in the ANC and its staunch supporters, jumping into bed with its arch-enemy has been a bitter pill to swallow. This was evident from leaked messages from the ANC’s national executive WhatsApp group.
But ordinary South Africans who can’t afford the basics because of price hikes or because the ANC’s policies have contributed to growing unemployment don’t care about the bickering from politicians.
People want, especially those born after 1994, what was promised to them by successive ANC governments. Bickering is not one of those things.
Failure by all parties will further erode our collective faith in the democratic system, since 1994, and call into question the legitimacy of any government.
* Quinton Mtyala, is the Western Cape Regional News Editor.
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