ANC And White-Led Party Join In South African National Unity Government – OpEd

By Lisa Vives

Once unthinkable, two sharply antagonistic parties have come together in South Africa’s new government of national unity.

The African National Congress has agreed to unite with their largest rival – the white-led, pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) – after the ANC failed to win enough votes to be the majority party – a position it held for 30 years.

The ANC got 40% of the vote, while the DA came second with 22%.

Once seen as a defender of rich white people, the DA has persuaded a growing number of Black South Africans that it reflects their aspirations.

Two smaller parties, the socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party which got 4% of the vote and the right-wing Patriotic Alliance (PA) – people of mixed race which got 2.06% – have agreed to join the unity government.

The PA promises to push for life sentences for those found guilty of corruption in government and will make random integrity testing mandatory for all public servants, especially the police. In 2021 it reaffirmed the party’s commitment to deporting ‘illegal foreigners”

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the coalition deal is on track and that the agreement with opposition parties is a “remarkable step”.

“We are engaging beyond this sitting on what needs to be done to constitute the government of national unity. Our work doesn’t stop,” he said.

While the ANC was deeply divided over a deal with the DA, some of its senior leaders – backed up by allies in the trade union movement and the South African Communist Party – preferred a coalition with the Economic Freedom Fighters or Jacob Zuma’s MK party.

But Mr Ramaphosa was said to prefer a coalition with the DA and IFP, seeing them as the most reliable partners to tackle South Africa’s economic crisis and deteriorating infrastructure.

The DA also opposes the ANC’s creation of a welfare state and a government-funded national health service, calling it too expensive. They also object to the ANC’s Black economic empowerment policies, saying they discriminate against other racial minorities while leading to the enrichment of the ANC’s business cronies – which the ANC denies.