John Steenhuisen Warns: GNU Will Be Dead by 2029 if Jobs Aren't Created

• The president of the Democratic Alliance, John Steenhuisen, warned that the Government of National Unity is in peril
• He spoke during the GNU's first anniversary and said that the coalition government needs to focus on economic growth and creating jobs
• Steenhuisen said that the fate of the GNU and the DA is at stake and is dependent on the GNU performing well and delivering on its promises

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, cabinet reshuffles, the State of the Nation Address, Parliamentary Proceedings, and politician-related news, as well as elections, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.

CAPE TOWN —The President of the Democratic Alliance (DA), John Steenhuisen, said that the Government of National Unity (GNU) would not survive the next general elections in 2029 if it does not create jobs and grow the economy.

GNU needs to deliver: Steenhuisen

According to Eyewitness News, Steenhuisen spoke during the anniversary of the GNU, which was formed in June 2024 after the general election. The Democratic Alliance joined forces with the African National Congress (ANC) and other parties when no party gained a majority.

Steenhuisen praised the GNU and said that it found the money to replace the VAT increase that political parties rejected when Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered his second budget speech on 12 May.

This was despite factions within the ANC calling for the DA to be removed from the GNU after it opposed the VAT increase. However, he said the GNU's survival depends on whether it delivers.

GNU must create jobs

Steenhuisen added that the GNU must shift the needle on economic growth and jobs or risk punishment from South Africa at the polls in the 2029 general elections. He called for a degree of urgency in economic reforms. Steenhuisen said the GNU needs drastic reform.

Steenhuisen also said that the DA's electoral success in the upcoming 2026 local government elections depends on how well the Government of National Unity performs.

The GNU in the news

Tensions within the Government of National Unity increased when the Democratic Alliance and other parties opposed the proposed 15% VAT increase. Godongwana scrapped the VAT increase, and the Western Cape High Court ordered that he table a new budget.

Members of the ANC confronted the Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, and put pressure on him to remove the Democratic Alliance from the GNU. They saw it as a means to punish the party for voting against it.

The ANC discussed the possibility of pressing the reset button on the GNU and considered reconfiguring it after the VAT increase saga. However, senior officials from both parties met to discuss the future of the GNU and to repair it.

MK Party continues legal challenge of GNU name

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the MK Party continued its legal battle against the South African Broadcasting Corporation for using the Government of National Unity. The party wants the SABC to stop using the term "Government of National Unity."

The MK Party has argued that the use of the term is unconstitutional and misleading and violates the public's right to freedom. The party was in court in May to appeal the case's dismissal.

Source: Briefly News