President Cyril Ramaphosa has set firm boundaries on the operation of the government of national unity (GNU), warning ministers and deputy ministers not to use government initiatives for party promotion. And stressing that Cabinet must act as a cohesive team.
Ramaphosa said in parliament on Thursday that MPs can campaign for their parties on the streets and speak for them in the House. But “there are no parties” in Cabinet.
“There are no ANC or DA or IFP or PA or UDM or GOOD or FF Plus or PAC or Al Jama-ah ministries,” he said.
All are part of a collective
“Every minister and deputy minister is part of a collective. We are working together to implement a common programme, the Medium Term Development Plan.”
The president’s reproach comes as GNU partners increasingly compete for public credit as the coalition tries to stabilise a strained economy, a fragile municipal system, and a crime crisis. Ramaphosa cautioned that ministers should not present achievements in government as victories for their parties.
“No minister or deputy minister should be claiming their work in the GNU as an achievement of their party,” he said. He added that often the foundations for work currently being celebrated were laid before some of the new GNU incumbents entered office.
“Our successes are the achievements of the collective,” Ramaphosa said. “By the same measure, we are collectively responsible for our mistakes and shortcomings.”
The president also signalled a tougher internal performance culture in the executive branch. He said he and Deputy President Paul Mashatile have increased scrutiny of political principals and senior officials.
“The deputy president and I have been spending more time evaluating ministers and deputy ministers. As well as directors-general,” he said. He described it as part of an effort to “promote accountability”, “engender a culture of performance” and “ensure action”.
Shared ownership of achievements and failures
The intervention is likely to sharpen tensions inside the coalition. Parties have to show their constituencies they are shaping policy and delivering outcomes. This while the ANC has argued that the GNU’s survival depends on discipline and shared ownership of both achievements and failures.
Ramaphosa’s remarks follow weeks in which ministers from across the coalition have toured projects. They have announced interventions and publicly linked deliveries to their political formations. The president’s message suggests that the Presidency wants a single line of accountability. This is to prevent the coalition from devolving into parallel campaigns.
He praised GNU party leaders who meet regularly “to discuss matters of national interest”. Their contributions have been useful in managing the country’s challenges, he added.
Ramaphosa closed by urging unity and “greater effort and faster progress”. He warned that South Africa cannot afford a government that fractures under pressure.
