ANC wants DA, FF+ punished for voting against it during the budget vote in Parliament

• The African National Congress wants its Government of National Unity partners to be punished for opposing the budget in Parliament
• Senior members of the National Executive Committee said a majority of the NEC wants the ANC to replace the parties that voted against it
• They said cabinet ministers and deputy ministers who are members of the Freedom Front Plus and the Democratic Alliance will be replaced by ActionSA and other parties

With over seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, offered insights into South African politics, national, provincial and local governance, the Government of National Unity, political parties and Parliament.

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa's current Government of National Unity (GNU) may be replaced with a new GNU, as African National Congress (ANC) insiders say political parties who voted against the ANC during the budget vote on 2 April 2025 will be replaced by those who voted in favour of it.

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ANC to oust DA and FF+?

According to City Press, the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) was supposed to meet on 7 April to discuss the fate of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and other parties in the GNU, including the Freedom Front Plus (FF+). The two parties, which are members of the Government of National Unity, voted against the budget because of the proposed Value-Added Tax increase.

An NEC member said the special NEC meeting was cancelled on 4 April after the DA and ANC entered into talks. However, the ANC would only allow the DA to continue to be a part of the GNU if it withdraws the court case that it filed at the Western Cape High Court on 3 April 2025, challenging the first phase of the budget's implementation.

DA and FF+'s possible GNU replacement

The ANC is reportedly planning on replacing the two parties with ActionSA, which voted in favour of the budget, and other smaller parties. Build One SA was one of the parties that voted for the budget to be passed. The ANC is willing to allow the DA to stay in the GNU if it withdraws its court case.

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What you need to know about the budget

• ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said the party was willing to join the GNU, and he would accept a cabinet position if offered
• The Democratic Alliance's president, John Steenhuisen, said the party was still committed to the GNU despite the budget fallout
• However, Fikile Mbalula, the ANC's secretary general, slammed the DA and accused it of acting in its own interests, and announced that the ANC's National Working Committee would meet to discuss the DA's role in the GNU
• Former Economic Freedom Fighters Member of Parliament, Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, slammed Steenhuisen's stance on the GNU

What you need to know about the GNU

The Government of National Unity (GNU) was formed shortly after the national elections 2024. The GNU was formed because no party achieved a majority. All political parties involved in the GNU will partake in decision-making to ensure a more stabilised nation and advance peace.

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In the previous elections, the Democratic Alliance (DA) secured 21.81% of the vote, the ANC secured 40.18%, and the newly established uMkhonto weSizwe (MKP) party, secured 14.58%. Parties had to form coalitions to govern because no party was able to secure a majority.

The GNU is a more stable way and it ensures a wide representation and inclusivity, in contrast to grand coalitions, which usually only include the largest parties. Political parties negotiate conditions, including preferred portfolios, positions and cabinet candidates, which the newly elected president announces in the days following his or her inauguration.

The president may, by law, select no more than two people from outside the National Assembly.

Herman Mashaba discusses joining the GNU

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the ActionSA president, Herman Mashaba, said that the party would serve the best interests of South Africans if invited to join the GNU. He spoke after initially expressing his willingness to accept a cabinet position.

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Mashaba also called the DA out for its stance against the ANC, which includes filing court papers to oppose the budget's implementation. South Africans slammed him on social media.

Source: Briefly News