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00:00Next, it is the dawn of a new era in South African politics.
00:04After three decades of dominance, the African National Congress has struck a deal to form
00:08what they're calling a government of national unity.
00:11It comes after the ANC failed to win an absolute majority in Parliament for the first time
00:16in 30 years.
00:18The deal saw lawmakers re-elect Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term as president.
00:24For some analysis on this new chapter, we can bring in William Gemede, the founder and
00:28executive chair of the Democracy Works Foundation.
00:31Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today.
00:34First, just how significant is this national unity government, notably that alliance between
00:39the ANC and their longtime rival, the DA?
00:43Thank you for having me.
00:44I mean, it's an extraordinary moment in South Africa's modern politics.
00:47I mean, the ANC has been in power for 30 years.
00:50It's really dominated our politics, our society, and also the state.
00:57And you know, finally, I mean, the ANC dropped to 40 percent in the general elections, but
01:03the opposition parties together have been unable to put a government together because
01:06in normal circumstances, if the opposition gets 60 percent and a former governing party
01:11gets 40 percent, the opposition will put a government together.
01:14So in our case, unfortunately, for the opposition to put their own government together, they
01:22needed to to bring in some anti-constitutional parties like former President Jacob Zuma's
01:28Mkontu Vizisbe party and the Economic Freedom Fighters of Julius Malema, another former
01:33youth league leader of the ANC.
01:34So that was impossible to put together a government with these two parties.
01:40And therefore, the Democratic Alliance and the Inkatha Freedom Party and other opposition
01:44parties joined the ANC in a government of national unity.
01:49And a government of national unity is different from an ordinary coalition government.
01:54It is just that a GNU, as we call it, is a power setting on an equal basis with the ANC.
02:05And to what extent do all of these parties actually see eye to eye?
02:09For example, the ANC is the historic party of Nelson Mandela.
02:12The DA, meanwhile, has a reputation for defending the interests of white minorities in South
02:17Africa.
02:19You know, just the first thing, I mean, it's really a couple of there's a couple of challenges.
02:22I mean, you know, the DA and the Inkatha Freedom Party and Freedom Front Plus are part of an
02:2811 party, a multi-party charter, South Africa's first pre-electoral or pre-election coalition
02:35of opposition parties.
02:36So that was a collective, their collective.
02:39So that's the first challenge.
02:40Although, I mean, it focuses on the DA and the IFP, that is formerly the coalition of
02:47the ANC.
02:49So it's really part of a bigger opposition party, a coalition.
02:52And I think the thing that will hold them together is focusing on the constitution,
02:58you know, as the ultimate law.
02:59I mean, there are many parties in South Africa that oppose the constitution.
03:03So I think that's the one thing that's going to hold it together.
03:06Secondly would be in terms of the challenge is going to be if the government of national
03:11unity is too big, if there are too many political parties, it's going to be very unwieldy.
03:17I mean, for now, it seems to be a manageable size of parties in there.
03:24But I think the important thing is really is how they're going to do this co-governing
03:28business, how they're going to do it.
03:30And will the ANC be able to compromise because it has been used to be in charge of government
03:35and now it will have to be selling government at every level, you know, whether it's foreign
03:41policy, economic policy or working with business, because the DA and the IFB want to work with
03:47business where the ANC was anti-business, they don't want to work with business.
03:51So these are some of the challenges they're going to have to deal with.
03:56And just finally, briefly, how would you describe the mood in South Africa after this announcement?
04:02How are people seeing seeing this unity government?
04:05I think it's a very hopeful, hopeful mood.
04:09I mean, you know, people have been calling for the ANC to become more accountable and more
04:14responsible as a government and to listen to people.
04:17But the ANC has been very complacent.
04:18I mean, 30 years in power and in the past, many of the ANC voters just voted for it based on
04:23the past, based on this past record.
04:26So it meant the ANC had no incentive to be responsible or to be accountable or to deliver
04:30services because people continue to vote for them.
04:33So why would they deliver services?
04:37Because, you know, like former President Jacob Zuma said, the ANC will be there until
04:43Jesus comes. I mean, it was like that.
04:46And I think people are now much more hopeful, much more excited.
04:49It's a hopeful mood in the country.
04:52I think it's the best scenario and many people understand that this is the best scenario
04:56for South Africa. It brings the main political parties into one government to govern
05:02inclusively for all South Africans.
05:04It could have been worse.
05:05It could have been the ANC in a coalition, for example, with anti-constitutional parties
05:09like the EFF and former President Jacob Zuma's Mkuntu Biseswe.
05:14I mean, that would have been a total disaster and that would have tanked South Africa's
05:17economy. I think people are much more hopeful for this government of national unity because
05:22it does bring business, civil society also into the loop because it was a pro-business,
05:27pro-civil society, pro-professionals that they would bring as part of the governing
05:35package. I'm glad people are hopeful and hopefully this new government will deliver.
05:40William Gumete, thank you again so much for your analysis.
05:42That's William Gumete, the founder and executive chair for the Democracy Works Foundation.