By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Deputy President Paulus Mashatile has criticised the Demcoratic Alliance (DA) ministers who despite not voting for the budget continue to serve in their positions.
Mashatile will delivered the keynote address at the inaugural Ahmed Kathrada Legacy Business Breakfast series to be held in Illovo, Gauteng.
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, formed in 2008, is an organisation aimed at deepening non-racialism in post-apartheid South Africa through the promotion of values, rights and principles enshrined in the Freedom Charter and the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
Mashatile was attending the event as a champion of social cohesion and nation building activities.
The Ahmed Kathrada Legacy Business Breakfast series seeks to provide a platform for engaging high-level executives, thought leaders, industry professionals and decision-makers in meaningful discussions on business, leadership and innovation. It also honours the legacy of Ahmed Kathrada’s contributions to leadership and justice.
The future configuration of the coalition is uncertain and its stability hangs in the balance following the passing of the 2025/26 fiscal framework by parliament last week.
Two GNU members — the DA and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) — did not support the vote.
The fiscal framework, which includes a 0.5 percentage point VAT hike, was passed with the support of non-GNU parties including ActionSA and Build One SA (Bosa).
Mashatile said that the DA Cabinet ministers who show up for work on Tuesday are disengenuous.
“I can see some of them are still working today as ministers, going around. I would be ashamed to do that because where does the budget come from? You’re working as a minister but you did not vote for the budget, but you think it’s OK, you’re going to work. I’m not sure what they are thinking.”
Government of National Unity (GNU) is seemingly facing collapse, after DA ministers voted against the fiscal framework – a key part of the budget – in Parliament.
The ANC’s National Working Committee (NWC) had been tasked with deliberating on the future of the GNU in light of the recent events.
Mashatile added the NWC meeting is set to review the developments and take decisions on the way forward in the GNU.
“We will hear from the NWC what we should do from Monday. As you know that when we were in Parliament, they (DA, FF+) didn’t vote for the budget and we passed the budget with other parties and we are still going to go back, we still need to pass the Appropriation Act and other laws and so on. So, the NWC is only meeting (Monday) to get this report and after this deliberation then they will say what should happen next.”
The pairing of the DA and the ANC was seen as the best possible outcome for South Africa, with the GNU seen as pro-business and pro-reform, restoring some credibility to the once-majority party.
Should the DA leave the GNU, markets will focus on who fills the space left, with none of the options being as positive or stable as it currently stands.
The GNU could proceed with smaller parties like Action SA and Bosa – the parties that supported the ANC in passing the budget – replacing the DA.
This would maintain the GNU’s perceived centrist position, but the grouping would lose its supermajority in parliament and potentially lead to disruptions down the line as the interests of 9 smaller parties come into play when passing legislation.