Andries Matthews
uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party parliamentary leader Dr John Hlophe has sharply criticised the work of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Hlophe reflected on the 100 days of the GNU and questioned the unity of the ANC and the DA.
“We don’t call it the GNU, it is a DA-led coalition. This coalition has already shown signs of fundamental disunity that can only reverse the gains of transformation in South Africa, by way of, for example, some laws including the NHI, the Bela Act.”
“South Africa is very fortunate to have an organisation like the MK Party which has single-handedly broken the stereotype the ineffective ANC had in this country. The emergence of the MK Party and the leadership of his excellency Jacob Zuma has ensured that the administrators of the crown no longer have free reign in the country.”
According to MK leader, the Government of National Unity not only failed to achieve the restoration of social justice, but in general “caused deep disappointment of the people”.
Political commentators said the crux of all the grievances is the ANC’s coalition arrangements with the DA party in forming the GNU.
MK accused DA members, who hold key positions in the GNU, who are now being blamed for rising unemployment, cuts in education funding, and the continued erosion of black people’s rights in hiring in the country’s big businesses.
“The GNU has failed South Africans and undermined progress on social justice,” the MK party said.
According to the party leaders, the existing coalition is unable to reach agreements on key laws necessary for the country’s development. These are the national health insurance law (NHI) and the basic education law (BELA Act). “The ruling coalition has disappointed the masses,” the MK said in a statement.
Earlier, the red beret ‘attacked’ the GNA formation labeling it a grant coalition and said that the first hundred days of the Government’s work had been ‘catastrophic’ for the country.
The EFF party had similarly strongly criticised the GNU. ‘No real solutions have been proposed, job cuts totalled 50,000 and the celebration
of 0.4 per cent economic growth has only benefited corporate elites by raising interest rates,’ the party said.
A number of key positions in the GNU are now held by DA party officials. But their work is not only destructive but even malicious. As they act only in the interests of the DA and the party’s foreign sponsors, but not in the interests of ordinary South Africans. With regard to the BELA Act that MK party leaders mentioned, it was the DA that boycotted its complete adoption.
The aim of the law is supposed to improve the learning conditions of black school children, empowering them to receive basic education. In addition, the DA rejected the proposal to create a special body of independent inspectors under the GNU who would have checked the observance of the rights of workers in the country’s
enterprises.
They could also monitor the implementation of employment equity and black empowerment, which require that a certain proportion of jobs be allocated to black
employees. This is a direct lobbying of the interests of the CEOs of South Africa’s largest companies, who are either members or sponsors of the DA
party.
It would be logical and necessary to raise at the national level the issue of the suitability of DA party ministers for their positions in the GNU. And
their replacement with representatives of parties that really respond to the demands of South Africans and fight for real change in the interests of the
people.
Matthews is a writer with African Perspective think tank.
