South Africa’s GNU remains intact – for now

The leader of South Africa’s second-biggest political party played down the likelihood that it will exit the nation’s ruling alliance if President Cyril Ramaphosa signs off on a controversial new education law while leaving its options open.

“The DA will not crash the government unless the government is crashing the economy or trashing the constitution,” Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen said in an address to the Cape Town Press Club on Thursday.

“With 22% of the vote, the DA cannot get everything our own way inside the government,” but won’t accept a situation in which none of its priorities are implemented, he said.

Ramaphosa’s African National Congress, the DA and eight smaller rivals agreed to form a so-called government of national unity after May elections failed to produce an outright winner.

The business-friendly alliance had been functioning well prior to the latest dispute, bolstering the rand and the nation’s stock market, and its unravelling would stoke political uncertainty and spook investors.

Quitting the government would hand over the reins to those who want to break the country, and the DA could resort to court action if a compromise over the education bill can’t be reached — which is the preferred option, according to Steenhuisen.

“Conflict over policy in a multi-party government like the GNU is normal and indeed necessary in a democracy, and it is not necessarily an existential threat to the government,” he said.

“The bottom line for the DA is the economy that grows and creates jobs. If the GNU cannot or won’t do that, there is no point being part of it.”    

The rand pared losses after Steenhuisen spoke. It traded 0.2% lower at 17.91 per dollar at 2:42 p.m. in Johannesburg, after earlier edging up to 18.01 per dollar.

The DA and some other parties have objected to provisions in the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill that they say gives the education department excessive powers to determine language policy and admission criteria at government schools.

Ramaphosa plans to sign the bill into law on Friday, having determined that it passes constitutional muster. 

“I can’t as an individual say anything about the future of the GNU, but what I am saying is that the ANC cannot govern as if it governs alone anymore,” Helen Zille, the DA’s chairwoman, said in an interview on Thursday.

The president is scheduled to answer questions in parliament in Cape Town later on Thursday, including one on the cohesiveness of his administration. 

The unity government’s founding statement says that parties “should work together in good faith,” that there should be “sufficient consensus” on policy among its members, and that a dispute-resolution mechanism should be established that can be utilized if they fail to agree.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, one of six DA members who serve in Ramaphosa’s cabinet, said her party’s opposition to the bill would have no bearing on its implementation if it’s approved. 

“Ours is not to listen to the political noise out there. We are professionals,” Cape Town-based website News24 quoted her as saying. “If the bill is signed, we implement it.”