South Africa has a government at last.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is pressing ahead and has already called a joint sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces for the opening of the seventh Parliament and his opening address on July 18.
It is thus safe to say that Mzansi is back in business.
The opening of the august house will coincide with International Mandela Day. This day is a call to action for individuals, communities, and organisations to take time to reflect on Mandela’s values and principles and to make a positive impact in their own communities.
For Ramaphosa and the Government of National Unity (GNU) Cabinet he appointed on Sunday night, this journey into the unknown is a call to action for the benefit of all South Africans, irrespective of the political colours they wear.
For the rest of us, the new beginning, widely compared to the dawn of democracy in 1994, means we are duty-bound to support the new government in spite of, in fact because of, its political diversity, and understand that the ANC had its hands tied after the May general election.
Let’s face it, with no outright winner at the polls, it was always going to be coalition or GNU, with the only mystery being which political parties were going to be on board. The ANC has done well to put together a GNU with such an overwhelming majority.
The million-dollar question is what role the MKP and EFF will play outside the GNU.
For a party that positioned itself as a “government-in-waiting”, one wonders if Julius Malema’s red berets would not have made a better impact within the GNU, to prove that they are capable of governing.
Let’s hope the EFF makes a meaningful contribution nonetheless, and that it has outgrown its tendency to belittle MPs and disrupt proceedings.
The MKP is expected to keep the administration on its toes; it is, after all, led by Jacob Zuma, who has a bone to pick with the ANC. However, the task may not be easy for the MKP, under the watchful eye of impeached Judge John Hlophe as its parliamentary leader.
The GNU must be allowed to steer the country to the next phase, despite the differences among the players and the national executive.
Cape Times