ANC and DA Strike Deal for Government of National Unity; Mzansi Has Mixed Feelings

• The African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) have reached a preliminary agreement to form a Government of National Unity
• This sparked widespread reactions from South Africans, many of whom were not impressed
• Public backlash on social media includes scepticism and criticism, while some voices support the potential coalition

Reitumetse Makwea, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Pretoria, South Africa, has covered local elections, policy changes, the State of the Nation Address and political news at The Citizen and Rekord Noweto for over five years.

The African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) have reached a preliminary agreement to form a Government of National Unity (GNU).

However, the announcement has sparked widespread reactions from South Africans, many of whom are not impressed.

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The ANC has been in talks with several parties; however, it was seemingly considering an agreement with the DA, IFP, and NFP, especially in KZN.

See the post on X below:

Public Backlash on Social Media

The deal has been met with significant criticism online. Many South Africans took to X to express their dissatisfaction after the announcement of a possible coalition between the ANC, DA, IFP, and NFP.

@Mo_Magoda was sceptical about the terminology used for the alliance.

“It’s a coalition. Stop calling it GNU."

@africanacademia corrected the terminology and said:

“Breaking news: The ANC and DA have reached a deal to return South Africa to apartheid.”

@Abraham_Meso grieved the perceived departure from the ANC’s historic values:

“This is Not The ANC of Oliver Tambo, Chief Albert Luthuli and Anton Lembede. Our country is gone.”

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EFF’s Julius Malema rejects Government of National Unity with right-wing parties

Supportive voices emerge

Despite the backlash, some voices emerged in support of the potential coalition.

@2Mongezi expressed relief at the prospect of new leadership:

“Bye Bye President Cyril Ramaphosa and good riddance."

@EmmjayDblessed shared a more optimistic view:

“Finally...the country can move forward after the election.”

Official statements and ongoing negotiations

While the public reacts, both parties have not released official statements.

Speaking to eNCA earlier, the Democratic Alliance federal chair Helen Zille revealed that the deal has not yet been finalised and confirmed that negotiations were ongoing.

See the video in a post on X below:

“No deal has been made yet. We are still speaking about the last clauses of an agreement, which we haven’t yet agreed on… We are trying to find a wording that protects our interests. We won’t be taken for a ride.”

She also emphasised the unprecedented nature of the negotiations.

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“This has never been done before. There’s not a country anywhere in the world where people can negotiate such an arrangement within two weeks; in Germany, they take months.”

Black Business Council warns against ANC-DA coalition

Briefly News previously reported that the Black Business Council believes that a coalition agreement between the ANC and the DA would be devastating for black people.

The Council told the ANC that such a union would be difficult to explain to the members and supporters of both parties.

BBC CEO Kganki Matabane suggested that the ANC would be better suited to working with the EFF and the PA.

Source: Briefly News