DA leader John Steenhuisen in Parliament after MPs voted on the proposed budget. His party's argument that the proposed VAT increase was anti-poor was a lame excuse, an attempt to score political points, says the writer.
Image: Armand Hough/ Independent Newspapers
FROM now onwards, the DA’s continued stay in the so-called National Government of Unity (GNU) is untenable.
In fact, it is now an unwelcome guest judging by ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa's leaked recording in which he says the DA has characterised itself outside of the coalition government. It must be even more unsettling for the Deputy Finance Minister Ashor Sarupen, a DA MP to help implement a budget his party has viciously opposed.
It’s taken the DA several hard knocks to finally get to this point. It lost the battle on the NHI. It was overpowered on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act or Bela. The ANC further showed it the middle finger in signing into law the Expropriation Bill into Act. It also received a nosebleed when Communications Minister Solly Malatsi attempted to withdraw the SABC Bill.
From these lessons, it was clear that the DA was nothing but a GNU passenger helping the ANC drive to its destination. When it finally woke up, it was too late. The ANC had taken full control of the GNU vehicle and was nearing its destination.
That is why the DA was always going to be on the back foot when it finally wanted to have things its way in the GNU. Its objections to the Budget were from a weak position. Its argument that the proposed VAT increase was anti-poor was a lame excuse, an attempt to score political points. Since when does it care about the poor when it has opposed almost every policy that seeks to redress and transform the economy to reflect the demographics of the country?
The statement by DA Finance spokesperson Mark Burke during Wednesday's budget vote in Parliament makes it clear that it's now not a question of if but when and how the DA exits the GNU.
“We joined this GNU government to drive the growth and jobs agenda, not to enable the worst parts of the ANC. For that, it has to turn to ActionSA. If we’re forced to exit this government for driving a growth and jobs agenda, then so be it…. As the DA, we will remain on our course of growth and jobs and vote firmly against this farce of a report. We reject it and we’ll see you on the battlefield. It’s not worth the paper it is printed on.”
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