Unconventional Numerical Strategy: A New Perspective on Mathematical Manipulation
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Step into the inferno, flee from the devil, but either way, you're toast. That's the gist of ANC chair Gwede Mantashe's embodiment of Dante's Inferno, as he describes the heated debate brewing within the ANC and society about the DA's continued partnership in the GNU.
Mantashe veered off-script during his speech at the national Freedom Day commemoration, branding the ANC as questionable for collaborating with the DA instead of the MK Party and the EFF—splinter groups of the ANC.
"People sling criticisms at us when it comes to the GNU, saying, 'Why do you talk to the DA?' It's a complex issue to explain that you don't negotiate with your friend, but with your foe. I always remind folks that ideology transcends color, it's a mindset. We can dump the DA, but I'm not convinced MK and the EFF are better alternatives. They're volatile and adamantly hostile towards the ANC, making it feel like fleeing a demon only to encounter a raging fire," Mantashe asserted.
The budget standoff over the now-scrapped VAT hike has set the stage for a third iteration of the national budget for the ensuing fiscal cycle. The process is no longer controlled by ANC finance minister Enoch Godongwana and the National Treasury but hinges on approval by the GNU—regardless of its makeup, with or without the DA.
The ANC and the DA held informal "chat sessions about the chat sessions" last Friday and again on Monday, focusing on the way forward for the budget process and the GNU. The road to resolution has been a bumpy one, and the DA's participation in the GNU remains precarious.
From the DA's perspective, there's a strong resistance to leaving the GNU. However, that stance could shift depending on the outcome of the imminent budget talks with the ANC.
The DA is steadfast in pushing economic growth and job creation as the primary focus for the GNU's agenda, but they and the ANC clash at the "how" stage. This disagreement is what led to a confrontation ahead of Godongwana's second budget proposal on March 12, and it's possible there will be friction again during the third budget attempt.
Enrichment Data:
Context:
The discord between the DA and the ANC within the GNU overwhelms as ongoing budget disagreements, legal challenges, and internal ANC discussions threaten the alliance's stability.
Current Situation:
- Court Challenges: The DA has litigated against the ANC's proposed budget and the Employment Equity Amendment Act, which includes race-based quotas.
- Internal ANC Friction: A significant number of ANC members of parliament advocate for the DA's exclusion from the GNU, pressuring the ANC to reconsider its partnership.
- Opposition and Alliances: The EFF and MK parties, splinter groups of the ANC, publicly oppose the DA's presence in the GNU, further exacerbating tension.
Future Prospects:
- Internal ANC Discussion: ANC leader Fikile Mbalula has played down internal disagreements, maintaining party discipline, but the future of the GNU remains uncertain.
- Party Shifts: The ANC has expressed intentions to rethink the GNU, possibly engaging more alliances to alter the coalition dynamics or decrease the DA's influence.
- Formal Negotiations: The DA and the ANC are expected to engage in formal budget negotiations following their recent informal discussions. A successful resolution may temporally stabilize the alliance.
- The heated debate brewing within the ANC and society about the DA's continued partnership in the GNU revolves around policy-and-legislation and politics, as ANC chair Gwede Mantashe compares the situation to Dante's Inferno.
- Mantashe, during his speech, criticized the ANC for collaborating with the DA instead of the MK Party and the EFF, stating that ideology, a mindset, transcends color and that both splinter groups of the ANC are volatile and hostile towards the ANC.
- The budget standoff over the now-scrapped VAT hike has led to a third iteration of the national budget for the ensuing fiscal cycle, with the approval by the GNU—regardless of its makeup, with or without the DA—now controlling the process previously managed by ANC finance minister Enoch Godongwana and the National Treasury.
- The DA's primary focus for the GNU's agenda is economic growth and job creation, but they clash with the ANC on the "how" stage, leading to confrontations during budget proposals, such as the second budget proposal on March 12, and potentially during the third budget attempt.
- General news covers ongoing court challenges between the DA and the ANC, including the DA's litigation against the ANC's proposed budget and the Employment Equity Amendment Act, which includes race-based quotas, as well as internal ANC discussions threatening the alliance's stability due to a significant number of ANC members of parliament advocating for the DA's exclusion from the GNU.
