The coalition government of South Africa is on fragile ground, with the sharp divisions between its two largest parties – the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) – Exhibited in a crucial vote on the national budget.
The DA of the center -right voted against the tax framework – a key element of the budget – after having rejected an increase in VAT and demanding a reduction in expenses in all ministries.
The ANC, which positions itself as a center-left party, refused to bow to what it called the DA’s request for an “austerity budget”.
He demonstrated his political sense by winning the support of a multitude of small parties – inside and outside the government – to obtain the tax framework by the Parliament by 194 votes in 182.
The DA has filed documents before the courts to challenge the vote, claiming that it was “impartial procedurally” while its first leadership should meet later to decide whether or not to remain in what South Africans call a government of national unity (GNU).
Professor William Gamede, academic at the School of Governance of the University of Wits in Johannesburg, told the BBC that he was not clear if the DA would leave the government at this stadium.
“He will wonder if it is a tilting point or if he should wait – at least until the judicial case,” said Professor Gomede.
The coalition government was formed less than a year ago after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in the elections for the first time since Nelson Mandela led him in power in 1994 at the end of the white minority rule.
The business sector of South Africa has put the two parties to enter a coalition, considering it the best option to guarantee economic stability.
But suggesting that the DA’s participation was no longer certain, the spokesperson for AD, Willie Aucamp, accused the Anc of a “serious offense” and said that the party had “crossed a line in the sand”.
Da Helen Zille’s Federal President said the party would consider all of its options and would not rush into a decision.
“We know that being in a coalition requires a compromise. You cannot get everything. But the ANC cannot get everything either, and they refuse, empty, to share the energy,” added Zille.
The ANC has taken an equally difficult position, with its parliamentary chief, Mdumiseni Ntuli, accusing the DA of the “complete betrayal” by breaking the ranks with its partners in the GNU.
“The DA is a member or was a member,” said Ntuli.
“I do not know what will happen with them now, but the GNU remains,” he added, referring to the fact that other parts of the coalition of 10 members remain attached.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesman Vincent Magwenya also threw the GLUT at the DA, saying: “You cannot be part of a government whose budget you have opposed.”
The DA found itself to vote alongside the two largest and most populist opposition parties in South Africa – the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party of former president Jacob Zuma and the economic fighters of Liberty (EFF) of Julius Malema (EFF).
Providing for the nationalization of the key sectors of the economy, these two parties are the impeccable enemies of the DA pro-enterprise.
But the three parties were united to oppose an increase in VAT, believing that it would hit the poor.
As Da’s leader John Steenhuisen said: “The ANC is disconnected from people, and if they bought their own grocery store or filled their own tanks, they would already know how life is life.”
But the ANC argued that an increase in VAT – set at 0.5% this year and another 0.5% next year – was necessary to increase income and offer public services such as health and education.
Above all, the Inkatha Freedom (IFP) party voted with the ANC, signaling the end of the alliance which it formed with the DA in the preparation of the elections in a failed attempt to keep the party of Ramaphosa out of power.
ActionSA – A small opposition party which has moved away from the DA – helped the ANC to win the vote.
He said he had entered into an agreement with the former who would see the increase in abandoned VAT, while other ways to increase government income is explored.
“The adoption of yesterday (Wednesday) of the report on the tax framework was only a step of a budgeting process in several stages before the approval of the final budget,” Actionsa said in a statement.
Professor Gomede said that the ANC would be difficult to convince the public to pay more taxes when public services collapse.
“Optics does not seem good for the ANC,” he told the BBC.
“The DA has taken the budget as an opportunity to make a big impact and show that it is poor in favor.”
The dispute on the budget is the last sign of the net differences between the two parties, the DA also disputes in the courts three other other laws – including the Land Expropriation Act.
This law was one of the questions that led to The administration of American president Donald Trump cutting aid to South Africa.
The Trump administration has now imposed prices of 30% on all South African imports, in a decision which is probably a blow for its already wading economy.
“They have bad things in South Africa. You know, we pay them billions of dollars, and we have reduced funding because many bad things happen in South Africa,” said the American president, before appointing other countries.
In a press release, the Ramaphosa office condemned new prices as “punitive”, saying that they could “serve as a barrier for shared trade and prosperity”.
But for many South Africans, prices signal the need for the two largest parts to solve their differences and work together – or risk seeing the nation penetrate a deeper economic crisis at a time when the unemployment rate is already at more than 30%.
