Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
11April 2025 | 10:56 CAT
3-minute read

The Government of National Unity, an uneasy alliance between the ANC and DA, appears to be anything but united. As the coalition stumbles from one public dispute to another, the political posturing, legal wrangling and internal divisions are raising serious questions about governance stability and public trust.

During this week’s ASRI Report on Radio Islam International, political analyst Angelo Fick unpacked the simmering tensions behind the spectacle, warning that the coalition is not merely experiencing teething problems, but a full-blown legitimacy crisis.

“We must keep reminding ourselves that they’re not, in fact, the government of national unity, but that they’re a political coalition currently governing the country. Otherwise, we will mistake the 2020s for the 1990s,” he cautioned.

Both the ANC and DA are under pressure from within. Longstanding ideological differences and internal discontent are fuelling the hostility. Fick highlighted that leaders in both parties are playing a waiting game – neither wants to be seen as the one to pull the plug, but each is hoping the other will blink first.

“The DA wants the ANC to blink and kick them out, and the ANC wants the DA to blink and walk out,” Fick said. “And in the meanwhile, 62 million South Africans are dealing with what is essentially two petulant toddlers who can’t come to an agreement or stick to the original agreement.”

Beyond the political theatre, serious policy clashes are undermining progress. From education transformation to the NHI and land reform, the DA has consistently opposed ANC-led initiatives. The latest flashpoint: a looming VAT increase that’s not just politically unpopular, but now legally contested.

In a surprising twist, the DA has teamed up with the EFF – its usual ideological adversary – to challenge the fiscal process in court. Their arguments, according to Fick, rest on concerns about irregular parliamentary procedure, unchecked executive power, and a regressive tax burden on the poor. The DA’s case also targets SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter, seeking to block implementation of the VAT hike scheduled for Workers’ Day.

“There is actually a fundamental concern here,” Fick explained, “around, one, the process in Parliament through which the fiscal framework was approved… The second component… is that they’re pushing for a revision of the powers accorded to the Minister of Finance to unilaterally declare VAT increases.”

Should the court rule in favour of the DA and EFF, it would mark a significant shift in the balance of power between Parliament and the executive – and could further destabilise the coalition. It also risks eroding public confidence in a government that appears to be taking itself to court.

The domestic discord is further complicated by international turbulence. As Trump’s aggressive economic manoeuvres rattle global trade systems, South Africa finds itself in a precarious position. Any plans to pivot towards Chinese markets as an alternative to Western trade are now shadowed by a deepening global trade war.

Fick summed it up starkly: “Any ideas that you could simply reallocate your focus from what is currently global north-western trade into what would be Chinese trade is complicated by this emerging, well, escalating trade war.”

With the clock ticking towards local government elections and trust in leadership thinning, the question remains: can this coalition survive its own contradictions – or will it collapse under the weight of its ambition?

Listen to the ASRI Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.