Whether the president walks, swims and quacks like a lame duck is a matter of some moment for the future of SA. He invited all political parties represented in parliament to join in a “government of national unity” after his ANC failed to secure an outright majority in the 2024 general elections. The invitation was couched (no allusion to Phala Phala intended) in terms that confirmed fealty to the rule of law and to the constitution.

The invitation was not accepted by the ANC’s splinter parties, now the third and fourth largest parties in parliament — MK, the official opposition, and the EFF. Nine other parties, all of which have no difficulty with taking fealty to the constitution and the rule of law seriously, did participate in the formation of the coalition that now tries to govern SA.

The difficulty is that the ANC continues to behave as if it is still in the majority. This mangles coalition decision-making and is why so little has been achieved in the seventh parliament; it took all of three months to pass the national budget. The flow of urgently required new legislation has all but dried up.

Inexplicably, the ANC has remained true to pursuing the implementation of its outdated national democratic revolution (NDR). The NDR forms no part of the pre-election political platform of any of the parties in the government of national unity other than the ANC, and is inconsistent with the rule of law and the constitution.

Suspicions of lameness are too mild a description. Abandoning the NDR is long overdue, yet its termination was not front and centre at Unisa last weekend.

Paul Hoffman
Director, Accountability Now