By Simon Nare
The African National Congress’ national executive committee has resolved to reset the composition of the Government of National Unity and incorporate more political parties in the fold.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula told journalists at a post-NEC meeting media briefing on Wednesday that the party would honour the agreement of the GNU’s Statement of Intent and consult other parties first before inviting others.
There are currently 10 parties in the GNU.
He could not say why the party’s highest decision-making structure between conferences had come to this resolution given how highly the party’s leadership, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, had spoken of the coalition.
Mbalula was non-committal on whether the Economic Freedom Fighters and uMkhonto we Sizwe would be invited for talks to join the GNU.
Mbalula said the NEC noted significant progress of the GNU’s work in the past 12 months, but acknowledged that it was not a permanent structure.
Rather, he reiterated, that the NEC regarded it as a tactical necessity to safeguard the country’s progressive agenda amidst a fractured electoral mandate.
“The GNU is an instrument for nation building, governance, inclusive development and championing the ANC’s transformation agenda.
“In terms of the Statement of Intent we have to talk to the partners, which is what we are going to do, and the officials have been mandated to process that decision in terms of the GNU,” said Mbalula.
While Mbalula was not forthcoming on the reasons for the decision, he was quick to point out that the DA’s “political mischief” was something that the party would have to deal with from time to time.
He said the NEC had also mandated the party’s officials to strengthen the functioning of the GNU and give full effect to the Statement of Intent.
“Our movement will not be short-sighted nor allow opportunistic forces to manipulate this platform for narrow partisan ends. The ANC remains clear that the GNU is a bridge towards the national democratic society we seek to build, and it is not an end in itself,” he said.
He added that despite the challenges the GNU faced, the majority of South Africans had embraced the coalition and were happy with it.
Mbalula said as a result, the ANC membership had stabilised at around 1,5 million members.
According to an ANC statement, the party’s membership stood at 1,479,257, with 809,361 in good standing. This reflected a 19.5% increase since June 2025.
“This is a clear testament to the people’s enduring faith in their movement. All branches must ensure compliance with functionality criteria and the completion of the Foundation
Course by November 2025,” the statement read.
Mbalula said despite the party’s resolution to expand the GNU, the ANC believed it was the correct model.
“The ANC affirms that the GNU is a correct tactical intervention for the country for reasons of stabilising the country politically and economically. The DA political mischief we see it from time to time in the GNU. It’s a matter that we need to address.”
Mbalula complained about DA members who he accused of contributing US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 30% import tariffs against the country.
He said some actions of the DA played into the hands of Trump, who wanted the country to do away with some of its transformative laws.
“The DA’s posture reflects a deeply entrenched neo-imperialist mindset that seeks to subordinate South Africa’s sovereign right to chart its own economic destiny to the interests of foreign powers and domestic elites,” Mbalula told reporters.
He vowed that the ANC would continue to defend what he called the economic freedom of the people.
Despite assurances from the South African government and respected businesspeople to dispel the misinformation campaign, Trump has instead stepped up his bullying tactics, Mbalula said.
The secretary-general said the motive was to force the government into doing what the US wanted.
“They are not retreating, they are intensifying. So, it’s basically to coerce us into doing things that are anti-transformative. It’s not going to happen.
“If it means we are going to suffer through sanctions as leaders of the ANC, let it be. We will never back imperialism to subvert our democracy, to subvert our sovereignty, ” he said.
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