The two faces of GNU

Different pathsa strategy for ANC-DA showdown in the 2026 local polls.’

- Brian Sokutu

W hile the ANC is cooperating with political in the other parties government of national unity (GNU), it seems to adopt a different approach at provincial and municipal level, setting the stage for a political fight to the death with the DA in the 2026 local government elections, say political analysts.

The DA yesterday expressed unhappiness about the ousting of Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink through an ANC-supported no-confidence motion, but that was unlikely to trigger a walkout from the national GNU, analysts said.

But, locally, the ANC Tshwane caucus followed a similar trend to that of the party in Gauteng of not toeing the line adopted at national level and the ANC's national working committee's (NWC) failure to censure its local and provincial leadership for treading a different political path to the national body, was a strategy to set the stage for a ANC-DA showdown in the 2026 polls, they said.

DA Gauteng leader Fred Nel said although this did not have a direct bearing on the GNU, "it does raise an issue of a relationship with various parties serving on the GNU if we cannot agree on resolving issues like Tshwane".