Unconventional Mathematical Wagering: Unconventional Strategies at Play
In a fiery speech, ANC chair Gwede Mantashe compared the party's dealings with the DA to running away from one devil only to find yourself in a fire. Mantashe, who spoke at the national Freedom Day commemoration, questioned the cooperation with the DA instead of Jacob Zuma's MK Party and Julius Malema's EFF, stating that people accuse the ANC of negotiating with friends, when in fact, enemies are the ones to negotiate with.
Mantashe, in a Dante-esque fashion, cautioned that ideology knows no color and is a matter of mindset. He expressed doubts about whether the MK Party and the EFF would serve as better alternatives, given their hostile and aggressive stance toward the ANC. To Mantashe, stepping away from the DA feels like abandoning a devil, only to find oneself in the fire.
The budget impasse over the abandoned VAT hike has introduced the stage for a third version of the national budget for the coming fiscal cycle. The process, initially in the hands of ANC finance minister Enoch Godongwana and the National Treasury, is now subject to approval by the GNU, with or without the DA's participation.
Both the ANC and the DA held meetings recently, informally discussing the way forward for the budget process and the GNU. However, the DA's participation has been mired in uncertainty, with internal pressure from the ANC to expel the DA from the coalition.
The DA strongly believes that remaining within the GNU is the best option. Yet, this position might change depending on the budget negotiations slated to take place formally between the ANC and the DA following the recent meetings. Economic reform, focusing on recovery and job creation, is the DA's top priority for the GNU's agenda.
The clash between the two parties revolves around the "how" to implement these reforms. Tensions arose ahead of Godongwana's second budget tabling on March 12, and another confrontation looms ahead of the third budget attempt, over issues such as the Employment Equity Amendment Act, the NHI Bill, and budget proposals.
The ANC-DA cooperation in the GNU, though strained, has pushed the ANC toward market-friendly policies. However, the diminished role of the DA in decision-making threatens these gains. A breakdown in the coalition could destabilize the situation, leaving economic recovery hanging in the balance.
- Mantashe, in a speech that resembled Dante's style, warned that ideology, a matter of mindset, has no affiliation with color.
- He said he had reservations about the MK Party and EFF, with their hostile approach, serving as better alternatives than the DA in policy-and-legislation and general-news matters.
- The budget process, previously under the control of ANC finance minister Enoch Godongwana and the National Treasury, is now being reviewed by the GNU, with the potential for the DA's participation.
- The DA is adamant about remaining within the GNU, but their position might shift in the face of budget negotiations with the ANC following recent meetings, with economic reform and job creation as the primary agenda items.
- Tensions between the ANC and DA have centered on the "how" to implement economic reforms in areas such as the Employment Equity Amendment Act, the NHI Bill, and budget proposals, with a potential for another confrontation ahead of the third budget attempt.
