GNU still intact despite differences on some issues: Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressing the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting held at Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa says the centre of the Government of National Unity (GNU) is intact despite partners’ disagreements on a range of issues. In his weekly letter to the nation, he says the postponement of the budget is not likely to affect public confidence in the GNU.

Ramaphosa says partners of the GNU are continuing their discussions on the issue.

For the first time since 1994, Parliament was forced to postpone the tabling of the budget speech due to political party differences.

President Ramaphosa says that was unfortunate as it gave rise to concern and uncertainty among South Africans, investors and the financial markets.

“The last-minute postponement was unfortunate. It gave rise to concern and uncertainty among South Africans, investors and the financial markets, who look to the Budget for important signals about the state and direction of our economy. The budget reflects government’s choices and priorities for the country’s development. Decisions on how to spend public funds have implications for every South African. It is therefore essential that the concerns raised by different parties around the budget are properly addressed, in the interests of accountability, transparency and consensus-building,” the letter states.

VIDEO | One of the issues of contention that GNU partners were not agreeing on in the drafted budget was the proposed 2% hike in taxes:

However, he says such differences do not mean that the GNU is in a crisis.

He says this is a sign of a healthy and robust democracy, insisting that such differences may emerge from time to time and be ventilated in public.

“Disagreements, contradictions and policy divergence are inherent in governments made up of several political parties. It has been more than six months since the formation of the GNU. Despite disagreement between parties on a range of matters, the centre holds. It is a sign of a healthy and robust democracy that such differences may emerge from time to time and be ventilated in public. Such differences don’t mean that the GNU is in crisis. It means that democracy is working,” says the President in his letter.

Ramaphosa says the GNU by definition infers consensus building and that no one party can impose its will.