With ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and DA federal council chair Helen Zille at loggerheads about the conditions of government of national unity (GNU) agreements, a debate on social media has many people questioning whether the partnership will last.
This week Mbalula was adamant the ANC would able to take certain decisions without the DA's buy-in, saying “the DA does not have the veto power”.
Zille disagreed with Mbalula, saying there would be a need for consensus among GNU parties about cabinet decisions and adding new partners to the unity government. She was not happy with the ANC's announcement that Gayton McKenzie's PA would be part of the GNU.
“We were consulted about the PAC but not the PA. They [ANC] have not consulted and they don't take all the decisions any more. They didn't win the election. I have written to Fikile Mbalula,” she said.
McKenzie was upset with Zille’s remarks and retaliated in a series of posts on social media.
“A coalition document is not an enforceable legal contract unless it is made an order of the court. We all have been invited by the ANC. Let them be the ones disinviting us and not the DA,” he said.
The disagreements among partners has led to some people on social media raising concerns about the GNU lasting or whether it would collapse within months like municipal coalitions.