Freedom Front Plus leader Corné Mulder has expressed concerns about the state of the government of national unity (GNU) in South Africa. According to Mulder, the GNU parties have basically 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 made these statements in an interview with the Sunday Times.
Mulder, whose party was one of the coalition government’s founding members, revealed that GNU party leaders have not met since November last year. This is despite agreeing at their last meeting to get together every month. The lack of meetings has hindered the GNU's ability to function as a proper coalition. Mulder described the situation as "bad for South Africa" because the GNU is not united and is not chasing a clear goal or motivating the country.
The problem, according to Mulder, goes deeper than just skipped meetings. The GNU is not acting like a coalition where parties decide government policies together. The leaders were meant to meet regularly to talk policy, make decisions, and then pass those to the executive and parliament. However, this has not happened. Mulder mentioned that the last time they sat around the table was in November 2025, and before that, they met in May and February.
It has been almost a year since President Cyril Ramaphosa and leaders of the 10 GNU parties gathered at the Cradle of Humankind, west of Johannesburg. During that meeting, they declared the GNU "united and strong" and promised regular meetings for strategic guidance. However, Mulder said the GNU is mostly driven by the ANC and the executive. He dismissed the idea that its leadership structure is working through a conflict-breaking mechanism run by Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
The Presidency had set up a GNU clearing-house mechanism to sort out policy disagreements, with monthly meetings planned. However, Mulder said none of these structures meet regularly. He questioned how seriously the GNU is being treated, stating that "they're not serious." Mulder believes Ramaphosa was initially committed to making the GNU work, but that commitment has faded for some unknown reasons.
Mulder suggested that the ANC sees the GNU as something it has to tolerate only because it has lost its majority and expects to win it back in the next election. However, he predicts that the ANC's support will keep falling. According to Mulder, the GNU's future 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 said last November's retreat showed that the parties could work together when they met, but the lack of follow-up meetings hurt this progress. He also mentioned that the local government elections on November 4 could reshape political alliances across the country.
Key points
- Mulder criticizes the GNU for lacking collective direction due to inactivity.
- The GNU parties have not met since November last year, despite agreeing to monthly meetings.
- Mulder predicts that the ANC's support will continue to decline.
