Mixed feelings after Zuma slams GNU as ‘nonsense’

Mixed feelings after Zuma slams GNU as ‘nonsense’

Political analysts have weighed in after former president Jacob Zuma slammed the Government of National Unity (GNU).

During his media briefing on Sunday night, Zuma, who now leads the uMkhonto we Sizwe Party (MKP), described the GNU as a deal for the markets and not for the people, adding that it was sponsored by big business.

Zuma labelled the GNU as nonsense, saying the political conditions had changed since the formation of the first GNU in 1994. He said it is a white-led “unholy alliance” between the DA and ANC.

He vowed to expose “white agents” who he alleged planned to take the country back to apartheid.

“They want to make us a country at war and they are giving us this GNU. But there is no government of national unity in South Africa. What we have here is a white-led unholy alliance between the DA and the ANC of (President Cyril) Ramaphosa. It is sponsored by big business, and it’s for the benefit of the markets and not the people. We need to educate our people that there is no Government of National Unity in South Africa,” Zuma said.

This will not be the first time South Africa will be governed through a GNU. Between 1994 and 1997 the country was governed by one consisting of the ANC, NNP and IFP.

Independent political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said the GNU deserves condemnation because it includes the DA “which does not care about black people’s interests”.

Seepe said the GNU will only uplift Ramaphosa and white people.

“This GNU is Ramaphosa trying to cover for his failure as the president of this country. Going into a deal with the DA is a spit into the faces of black people. If this was about black people then the ANC would have invited the EFF, MKP and other parties that care about black people.

“The real reason why Ramaphosa chose the DA is because he wants to protect their interests and appease white masters. The EFF and MKP are well within their rights to lambast this sort of a deal,” Seepe said.

Zakhele Ndlovu, a political analyst and a lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said people tend to confuse a coalition government with the GNU.

Ndlovu said in 1994 the ANC won with an outright majority, but chose a GNU with the IFP and NNP.

“This time around the ANC did not have a choice because they did not win with the outright majority. It was either coalition or GNU,” Ndlovu said.

He said that this governing model would accommodate many political parties, adding that Zuma is opposed to GNU because of political expediency.

“With the GNU we are yet to see if it will prove to be good. It is easy on paper but they have to make it practical. You have political parties who share different policies, and my main question is, will this be sustainable in future?” Ndlovu asked.

Another political analyst, Imraan Buccus said it was not surprising the MKP slammed the GNU, adding that the party made it clear very early that they would not be willing to work with the DA and the ANC of Ramaphosa.

The Mercury