By Daanyaal Matthews
In a surprising turn of events, ActionSA has aligned with the African National Congress (ANC) ahead of the upcoming budget vote. This follows the ANC losing support from its Government of National Unity (GNU) partner, the Democratic Alliance (DA), and facing condemnation from the uMkhonto we Sizwe Party (MK) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)—the third and fourth largest parties in South Africa, respectively—for attempting to implement a 0.5% increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) both this year and potentially next year.
ActionSA has defended its decision, asserting that its collaboration with the ANC has successfully blocked the proposed VAT increases and prevented the tax bracket adjustments initially put forward by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.
However, the DA disputes this claim, arguing that ActionSA’s move has, in effect, granted the ANC the authority to introduce the VAT hike at a later stage.
Speaking on VOC’s NewsBeat, political analyst Professor Bheki Mngomezulu suggested that ActionSA’s decision to side with the ANC exposes deeper fractures within the GNU, as both the ANC and DA continue to function as though they are not in a coalition.
“The DA and the ANC are experiencing what can be described as an identity crisis. The ANC still behaves as though it is the sole governing party, while the DA continues to operate as the official opposition. In reality, both are part of the same coalition government,” Mngomezulu explained.
The growing tensions between the ANC and DA have fueled speculation about the GNU’s future, with the budget vote dispute adding to a series of public clashes between the two parties—most notably over the BELA Act, the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act, and the Expropriation Act.
Professor Mngomezulu believes the coalition is unsustainable but questions whether the DA would be willing to exit the GNU, given that many of its members now hold cabinet positions because of it. However, he maintains that these internal conflicts ultimately harm ordinary South Africans.
“On the one hand, we have a coalition government that is fundamentally unstable. On the other, we have individuals who have become ministers for the first time and will do everything in their power to keep this coalition intact until the next election in 2029. But at the same time, this ongoing political chess game between the ANC and the DA is doing little to ease the struggles of ordinary South Africans,” Mngomezulu concluded.
Listen to the full interview here:
Photo: GovernmentZA
