South Africa’s Coalition Government: A Test of Unity

A Delicate Balance

South Africa’s coalition government, established after the 2024 elections, signaled a new era in the nation’s political landscape. It rekindled the spirit of unity from the 1990s, when political rivals joined forces.

Nine months into its term, however, the initial goodwill and pragmatism are waning. A major budget disagreement between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) threatens the coalition’s stability.

Governance Successes

Despite obstacles, the coalition government has achieved progress in two key governance areas.

• Uniting adversaries: Former opposition parties, now part of the power-sharing agreement, are advocating for better government performance and ethical standards.
• Strengthening the public service: All coalition members aim to professionalize the bureaucracy. Efforts are underway to address training, competency assessment, and recruitment processes.

However, a legal dispute between the DA and ANC over party deployments in state employment poses a risk to these advancements.

Policy Hurdles

The coalition government has faced challenges in turning policy agreements into tangible results. Nevertheless, progress has been made in several areas.

• Healthcare: Both parties agree on universal access and have found common ground on maintaining private medical aid schemes.
• Basic education: Although a public dispute over the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill has caused friction, there is potential for agreement on balancing school governing bodies’ autonomy with provincial departments’ oversight.
• Land expropriation: Technical issues can be resolved, despite emotive rhetoric and unwelcome international interventions.
• Pro-growth policies: Operation Vulindlela, a joint Presidency and National Treasury initiative, has made significant progress in removing constraints in specific economic sectors.

The Road Ahead

For South Africa’s future, it is essential to build upon the pragmatic foundation that formed the coalition government. Outdated top-down governing methods must be discarded, and constructive solutions should take precedence over ideological rigidity.

South Africa has done it before, and it can do it again.

Vinothan Naidoo is Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration, University of Cape Town.

Brian Levy is Professor of the Practice of International Development, Johns Hopkins University.

This article was first published on The Conversation.