The signing of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill into law last week has given a glimpse of what lies ahead under the rule of the so-called Government of National Unity (GNU).
It’s not a union of equals and all indications are that we must brace ourselves for a bumpy road.
The ANC has used its dominance to continue with its programme of action, while the DA has been a moaner, boxed into submission whenever there are areas of disagreement.
Safe to say, the DA has been the biggest loser in the GNU. Despite securing almost half the votes the ANC received, it has yet to show anything for that, let alone convince Cabinet colleagues on policy issues.
It then begs the question: What is its real role in the GNU?
It can’t only be that DA leader John Steenhuisen publicly declared that the DA was prepared to protect ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa against any attempt to remove him over the Phala Phala scandal.
One has to look at how handicapped the DA has become since being part of the executive. It complained about the ANC inviting other parties to join the GNU and tried to stop it, to no avail.
It failed to convince Ramaphosa to allocate it more Cabinet posts when he announced his executive.
There are no indications that the DA will change or delay the implementation of the National Health Insurance, which it vigorously campaigned against before the elections.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube’s no-show at the signing ceremony was further proof that the differences between the two main GNU partners are too big to bridge the gap.
Gwarube’s snubbing of the event goes to show that the GNU’s stated objective of putting South Africa first is nothing but rhetoric.
Early indications show that the GNU might be heading for troubled waters. How it navigates the challenges will certainly determine how long this relationship will last.
At stake here is the stability of our country, which we should never allow to be turned into the mess that some of the municipalities under coalition governments have become.
Cape Times