The leaders of the 10-member government of national unity (GNU) will meet on Wednesday to resolve disputes within the coalition that may threaten its sustainability.
The GNU’s clearing house mechanism, which is led by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, is set to discuss and adopt a terms of reference on the way forward. The leaders of political parties are also expected to establish the Political Leaders’ Forum of parties, who signed the statement of intent to establish the GNU.
The clearing house will not override decisions taken by the cabinet because cabinet decisions are legislated.
In its first 100 days since its establishment in July, the GNU has faced some disagreements such as the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) and National Health Insurance (NHI) Acts, which were recently signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa, with the DA saying it had not ruled out legal action to amend the legislation.
Basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube did not attend the signing of the legislation. While signing it, Ramaphosa delayed the implementation of those considered controversial clauses for three months to allow for further engagement. During a wide-ranging interview with journalists in September, Ramaphosa threatened to fire Gwarube should she fail to implement the legislation.
“The clearing house mechanism will not override cabinet decisions, as the cabinet remains the final decision-making body in the government, but will ensure that all GNU signatories develop a common understanding of critical policy matters. In addition to the clearing house mechanism, it was resolved that a technical committee be further established, which will serve as a processing channel for matters of divergence within the GNU,” Mashatile’s spokesperson, Keith Khoza, said in a statement.
The GNU was formed after the May 29 election in which the ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in three decades. The GNU comprises the ANC, DA, PA, IFP, GOOD, the PAC, FF Plus, UDM, Al Jama-ah and Rise Mzansi.
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