Rising factionalism within the ANC sparks internal calls to expel the DA from the GNU, but political analysts warn it’s not that simple.
A growing internal rift is threatening to destabilise the African National Congress (ANC), as divisions emerge over the DA’s role in the GNU of South Africa. Insiders and analysts suggest that factional battles within the ANC—fuelled by Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s leadership ambitions—are behind rising calls from within the party to expel the DA from the unity government.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who recently hosted a working dinner with coalition party leaders at Genadendal in Cape Town, finds himself caught in the middle of a political storm. Critics within the ANC caucus argue that the DA behaves like an opposition party despite being in government, prompting renewed debates over its legitimacy and influence within the GNU.
ANC Factions Collide
Independent political analyst Goodenough Mashego points to Mashatile’s presidential campaign as a major factor influencing the growing anti-DA sentiment. “This is a clear marker that the ANC is entering election mode,” Mashego said. He emphasised that the anti-DA chorus is a symptom of the broader succession battle playing out ahead of the ANC’s 2027 elective conference.
Although the ANC has historically followed a succession tradition, Mashatile’s potential rise is contested due to unresolved graft allegations. His camp, however, appears to be gaining momentum as frustrations over the DA’s position in the GNU mount.
Can the DA Be Removed from the GNU?
According to Mashego, removing the DA from the GNU is not as straightforward as some ANC members might hope. “The DA was not invited to the coalition like other smaller parties—it entered the GNU as an equal partner,” he said. “Therefore, the ANC cannot simply kick it out.”
Political analyst Khanyi Magubane echoes this sentiment, stating that calls from the ANC caucus to eject the DA show a party struggling with internal coherence. “It shows a centre that is not holding. The ANC needs to move away from factionalism—it’s weakening the party and its ability to present a united front,” she warned.
Rising Tensions Over Policy and Power
The DA has not shied away from challenging the very government it is part of. It recently opposed the national budget and joined the EFF in taking the state to court over a proposed 0.5% VAT hike—actions seen by ANC members as contradictory to the spirit of unity.
More controversy brews as the DA continues its legal battle to overturn the Employment Equity Act, a law aimed at correcting workplace imbalances created during apartheid. This issue, according to political commentator Daniel Silke, could become the flashpoint that derails the entire GNU. “While it may survive in the short term, these ideological clashes make long-term unity highly unlikely,” he said.
A Party at Crossroads
The ANC is no stranger to internal divisions. The current drama echoes past tensions between Jacob Zuma’s Radical Economic Transformation faction and Ramaphosa’s reformist Thuma Mina group. The current standoff over the DA may well become another chapter in the ANC’s long history of intra-party conflict.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula added fuel to the fire by stating that the DA is free to leave if it wishes, suggesting the ANC is prepared to realign with other smaller parties instead. Yet, the party has not made any formal move to evict the DA, leaving the GNU’s future hanging in political limbo.
The Bigger Picture
Analysts agree that the ANC needs to urgently clarify its stance and communicate a coherent message to its supporters. “If different structures are singing from different hymn sheets, how can the ANC claim to be a united movement?” Magubane asks.
As South Africa struggles with pressing socioeconomic challenges, the stability of its ruling coalition has become more important than ever. Whether the ANC can rein in its internal divisions and find a path forward with—or without—the DA remains to be seen.
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