Freedom Front Plus leader Corné Mulder has expressed concerns about the state of South Africa's government of national unity (GNU), stating that it is not functioning as a proper coalition. According to Mulder, the parties have gone their separate ways, and the political setup that is supposed to keep them together has been inactive for months. This inactivity has resulted in the GNU losing its clear collective direction.
Mulder, whose party was one of the coalition government's founding members, revealed that GNU party leaders have not met since November last year, despite agreeing to meet every month. He described the situation as "bad for South Africa" because the GNU is not united and is not working towards a clear goal. Mulder used an analogy of a car running on two flat tyres to describe the GNU's current state, implying that it is unlikely to achieve success.
The GNU was established with the aim of having parties decide government policies together. However, Mulder stated that this has not been happening, with the leaders failing to meet regularly to discuss policy and make decisions. He mentioned that the last time they sat around the table was in November 2025, and before that, they met in May and February. Despite agreeing to meet every month going forward, no meetings have taken place since November.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and leaders of the 10 GNU parties had gathered at the Cradle of Humankind, west of Johannesburg, almost a year ago, declaring the GNU "united and strong" and promising regular meetings for strategic guidance. However, Mulder dismissed the idea that the GNU's leadership structure, which includes a conflict-breaking mechanism run by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, is effective. He also questioned the seriousness of the Presidency's GNU clearing-house mechanism, which was set up to sort out policy disagreements.
Mulder believes that Ramaphosa was initially committed to making the GNU work but that commitment has faded. He suggested that the ANC sees the GNU as something it has to tolerate only because it lost its majority and expects to win it back in the next election. Mulder predicts that the ANC's support will continue to fall, stating that "the opposite will happen. The ANC will keep shrinking."
The future of the GNU, according to Mulder, depends on the next ANC leadership election and possibly on changes in how the ANC and DA work together. The ANC is scheduled to hold its next national conference, where Ramaphosa is due to step down as leader after serving two terms, in December next year. Mulder noted that last November's retreat had shown that the parties could work together when they met, but the lack of follow-up meetings has hindered progress.
The local government elections on November 4 could reshape political alliances across the country, according to Mulder. He stated that this election will show a major realignment in South African politics. The outcome of the election and its impact on the GNU remains to be seen.
Key points
- The GNU has not met since November 2025.
- Mulder predicts that the ANC's support will continue to fall.
- The local government elections on November 4 could reshape political alliances.
