SONA Debate: DA asserts voters established GNU, not ANC

The Democratic Alliance (DA) reminded the African National Congress (ANC) that the Government of National Unity (GNU) was established not by the ANC but by the voters. 

This statement followed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the government’s planned R100 billion Transformation Fund. The DA emphasised that it was not consulted as a partner in the GNU regarding this fund.

DA Member of Parliament Sonja Boshoff said during the Sona debate on Tuesday that her party "rejects" the ANC policy, adding that the time for the ANC to benefit economically a selected few individuals was over.

“We meet today in the wake of the President’s State of the Nation Address, an occasion intended to offer direction and hope. Yet, how can we speak of hope when this President, yet again, proposes a questionable policy that could undermine economic growth, discourage investment, and exacerbate already high levels of unemployment?

“Minister Parks Tau’s unilateral announcement of the R100 billion Transformation Fund is not just bad policy; it is a significant concern for the democratic process, an attack on our economy, and a direct threat to fairness, accountability, and the rule of law.

“This fund was never approved by the Cabinet. It was never debated within the Government of National Unity (GNU). It was never subjected to the due processes that govern major financial policy decisions. Instead, it was unilaterally declared as though the ANC still governed alone. Let me make it clear: they do not.”

She added that GNU is not an ANC dictatorship and that the days of steamrolling over South Africa’s economy and institutions for the benefit of a connected elite are over.

“I must stress that the need for transformation is not up for debate; it is necessary. However, the means by which we achieve it must be legally sound, economically viable, and transparent. This fund, in its current form, fails on all three counts.

“We have seen this exact playbook before – at Eskom, at Prasa… In PPE scandals and in the billions looted during state capture.

“South African businesses are already struggling due to the unreliable power supply, a failing infrastructure, an unreliable water supply, a punishing tax regime, and policy uncertainty that chases investors away. This reckless fund will only worsen these conditions, deepening unemployment and sending capital fleeing from our shores,” she argued.

IOL