'the Centre Holds:' Ramaphosa Upbeat About Gnu Despite Major Rifts

President Cyril Ramaphosa has remained upbeat about the government of national unity GNU despite major disagreements among its constituent parties.

The latest rift centred around a proposed increase in value added tax in the 2025 budget . It forced the budgets postponement last week to 12 March.

Writing in his weekly newsletter on Monday 24 February, Ramaphosa acknowledged that the last-minute postponement was unfortunate.

It gave rise to concern and uncertainty among South Africans, investors and the financial markets, who look to the Budget for important signals about the state and direction of our economy, he added.

He explained that the cabinet decided to postpone the budget to allow further discussion on areas of disagreement among parties in the GNU.

The President downplayed these rifts and policy divergence, saying they are inherent in coalition governments. The process of forging agreement among the political parties in the GNU is still work in progress, but we are certainly getting there, he added.

It has been more than six months since the formation of the GNU. Despite disagreement between parties on a range of matters, the centre holds. It is a sign of a healthy and robust democracy that such differences may emerge from time to time and be ventilated in public.

The decision to postpone the budget speech and to continue discussions should engender public confidence in the GNU. It should reassure citizens that despite differences of opinion, we are pulling in the same direction.

However, the African National Congress ANC and Democratic Alliance DA have continued to tussle over the postponement. The DA has launched a petition against ANCs 2 VAT increase, claiming that its pressure stopped the budget speech from taking place.

However, Deputy President Paul Mashatile insists that its the ANC that wants to relook the budget.