Senior figures within the African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) are pushing to impose penalties on their Government of National Unity (GNU) partners, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), for voting against the 2025 fiscal framework.
The controversial budget, passed on April 2 by a narrow 194-182 margin, exposed significant divisions within the coalition after the DA and FF Plus rejected a proposed 0.5% VAT increase, forcing the ANC to rely on support from smaller parties like ActionSA.
Sources close to the NEC revealed that a majority of the committee members are furious over what they term a “budget betrayal” and are advocating for a restructuring of the GNU. The proposed reconfiguration includes replacing DA and FF Plus ministers and deputy ministers with representatives from the parties like Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), and the Patriotic Alliance that supported the budget.
“Those who didn’t stand with us can’t stay in the fold,” one senior ANC member told City Press on April 6, hinting at a possible overhaul of the coalition formed after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in May 2024.
The fallout from the budget vote has raised further questions about the stability of the GNU, with ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula strongly criticizing the DA’s position. DA leader John Steenhuisen, however, has reaffirmed his party’s commitment to the coalition despite mounting a legal challenge to the budget’s adoption.
As the ANC NEC prepares for a critical meeting this week to finalize its position, the future of the coalition hangs in the balance, with punishment and potential cabinet replacements set to become the next battleground.