As tensions within South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) reach boiling point over the controversial 2025 budget, ActionSA president Herman Mashaba has launched a scathing critique of the Democratic Alliance (DA), accusing the party of bad faith and political immaturity.
In an interview with Salaamedia on Friday, Mashaba did not mince words, questioning the DA’s commitment to the GNU and lambasting what he sees as a self-serving approach that has destabilised the coalition at a critical time for the country.
“This GNU has been running for 10 months. I don’t know whether they forgot that one day we will need a budget to be passed,” Mashaba said. “They concentrated on blue lights, they concentrated on international travel, going to conferences – forgetting that they needed policies that can advance the lives of the people of South Africa.”
The DA, led by John Steenhuisen, has filed a legal challenge against the 2025/2026 Fiscal Framework, citing procedural and constitutional concerns. The party’s refusal to back the budget, which included a contentious 0.5 percentage point VAT hike, has thrown the future of the GNU into question.
According to Mashaba, the DA’s opposition is not rooted in principle but in political opportunism.
“My own analysis is that the DA did not really enter this GNU with good intentions. They went into this GNU to manipulate and get their way. Unfortunately, with them not getting their way, they must act like babies,” he said.
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ActionSA, which voted in favour of the budget alongside the ANC and several smaller parties, played a pivotal role in securing its passage. Mashaba defended his party’s support, saying it was conditional and aimed at protecting the country from fiscal chaos.
“We are patriots, we love this country. As much as I’m not a friend of the ANC because of what they’ve done over the last 30 years, I then decided let’s put the country first; we gave the ANC the proposal on how we can run this process [and] ensure that South Africa has got the budget on Wednesday.”
Mashaba outlined three key conditions ActionSA set in exchange for its support:
1. The immediate scrapping of the VAT increase scheduled for 1 May.
2. A drastic reduction in the size of the Cabinet, which he described as “bloated” and out of touch with the suffering of ordinary South Africans.
3. A clear stance that any coalition partner voting against the budget should not remain in government.
“If they vote against this budget and plunge our country into chaos, then they cannot really serve in this government. It has never happened anywhere in the world where a coalition partner votes against the government and be expected to be the one executing that budget—it is not going to work,” Mashaba asserted.
The Presidency has echoed similar sentiments, with spokesperson Vincent Magwenya stating, “You can’t be part of a government whose Budget you opposed.” President Cyril Ramaphosa has yet to formally respond but is reportedly considering the implications of the DA’s defiance.
Meanwhile, DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille has insisted the party is not in government for “blue lights or perks” and that its federal executive will carefully consider its position in the GNU. However, political analysts warn that the DA’s exit could lead to a reconfiguration of the coalition, potentially ushering in what some are calling “GNU 2.0”.
As the fallout continues, one thing is clear: the GNU, once hailed as a bold experiment in collaborative governance, is now facing its most severe test yet.
