One of the things we lost in the bonfire that destroyed the ANC’s majority was a competent opposition.
No matter your political leaning, it is indisputable that over the past several administrations the DA, IFP and other smaller parties have used their limited parliamentary heft to try to hold the ANC government to account. They generally did a good job, despite a few scrapes along the way.
Now President Cyril Ramaphosa has formed a “government of national unity” — soothing branding for a coalition of politically diverse but constitutionally minded political parties. That is a healthy state of affairs in that it ought to create a government with strong internal checks and balances. However, an unintended consequence is that those who despise constitutional order are the only political offerings left to make up an official opposition.
Nationalist and fascist parties comprise the overwhelming rump of the anti-constitutionalist opposition. It is therefore of little surprise that the opposition — led by impeached former judge John Hlophe of Jacob Zuma’s MK party — has been unable to explain its distaste for the new government with anything other than abuse and innuendo.
The kernel of Hlophe’s response to Ramaphosa’s opening of parliament speech — duplicated by the EFF — was that some coalition MPs seemed happy to see their party’s policies coming through in the president’s speech.
It would benefit not only the MK and the EFF but the country if they could bring themselves to try a little harder. If the government’s agenda is truly harmful, serious arguments should be made against it.
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