Fikile Mbalula Surprised DA Is Still Part of GNU, Unhappy With the Party’s Continued Objections

• Fikile Mbalula is surprised that the Democratic Alliance (DA) is still a part of the coalition government
• Mbalula questioned why the party was still in the Government of National Unity (GNU) when it objected to stuff
• Political parties are growing tired of the DA's conduct, with many saying they need to leave the GNU

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – Fikile Mbalula is surprised that the Democratic Alliance (DA) is still a part of the Government of National Unity (GNU).

The Secretary-General of the African National Congress (ANC) made the admission during a multi-party media briefing on Thursday, 24 April.

The briefing was held in Gauteng to discuss the Finance Minister’s decision to scrap the Value-Added Tax hike. Enoch Godongwana made the announcement late in the night on 23 April, as time runs out for the budget to be gazetted.

Mbalula surprised by DA’s continued involvement in GNU

During his speech at the briefing, Mbalula expressed surprise that the DA was part of the coalition government, noting that the party rejected the budget and even took the matter to court in a bid to stop it.

"The fact that you are still here, we are shocked – because you can’t support something that you have not been party to, and that has been the issue for us,” he said.

He added that the party’s conduct would define whether it remained as part of the GNU once it was reconfigured.

"We have always said reconfigurations depend on conduct. If you say, I’m not supporting this thing and I’m in government, you are defining yourself outside of the GNU," Mbalula added.

You can watch the ANC Secretary-General make the comments below.

DA’s continued objections annoy political parties

The DA’s objection of the VAT increase is not the first time that the party has been in opposition to the rest of the GNU partners.

The party has opposed the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, the National Health Insurance Act, and the Expropriation Act.

Its objection to the national budget has been the last straw for many, especially the ANC.

Several parties have also grown tired of the DA and want John Steenhuisen’s party to leave the coalition government.

What you need to know about the budget speech saga

• Julius Malema stated that the government collapsed after failing to present a budget on 19 February.
• The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party threatened a national shutdown if a VAT hike was included in the budget.
• The 2025 Budget was adopted in the National Assembly on 2 April 2025 after 194 members voted in favour of it.
• The EFF filed papers in court to challenge the legality of the budget adopted by Parliament.
• The ANC Youth League wants DA ministers to be removed from their posts for voting against the budget.
• The ANC and DA sat down to discuss the future of the Government of National Unity (GNU) following divisions caused by the budget.

What you need to know about Fikile Mbalula

Fikile Mbalula is a politician and the current Secretary-General of the African National Congress (ANC), a position he has held since December 2022. He served as a cabinet minister from 2010 to 2023, most recently as the Minister of Transport from 2019 to 2023.

In 2019, it was revealed that Mbalula had been informed of his appointment to the ministry through a phone call with one of the Gupta brothers, who were closely connected to former President Jacob Zuma and are alleged to have played a central role in state capture. This revelation came two years after Mbalula's departure from the ministry and nine years after his initial appointment.

DA claims victory as VAT increase is reversed

Briefly News reported that the DA celebrated the Finance Minister's decision to scrap the Value-Added Tax hike.

The DA believes its decision to take the budget to court pressured Enoch Godongwana into making the decision.

Other political parties didn't agree with the sentiment, saying that it was a joint effort between numerous stakeholders.

Source: Briefly News