DA leader John Steenhuisen. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
President Cyril Ramaphosa and Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhausen have moved to allay fears that a standoff over the Basic Education Act Amendment (Bera) Bill, signed into law on Friday, could bring down the Government of National Unity (GNU).
President Ramaphosa used the question period at the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), and President Steenhausen spoke at the Cape Town Press Club, to reinforce the message that Vela and the NHS were not an “existential threat” to the government.
Their simultaneous intervention came the morning after President Ramaphosa convened a dinner for talks with leaders of political parties linked to the GNU on Wednesday night, averting a crisis over the Vera Bill, which the DA has opposed since its inception.
President Ramaphosa told the NCOP that he did not see any threat to the coalition's future.
“I don't work from the perspective of having to disagree with someone so far as to divide us. I have often worked from the perspective that Nelson Mandela taught me – that for every problem there is a solution,” he said.
“So we will try to find solutions. We confirmed yesterday that we will find solutions no matter what happens, because problems will happen and we should never fool ourselves and think that there will be no difficulties.”
He said that if such an incident occurs, the parties will talk and resolve the issue until a satisfactory agreement is reached.
“Are we going to arbitration or mediation? No, we're going to negotiate it ourselves.”
Steenhuisen's tone was more confrontational.
He said he met with President Ramaphosa on Wednesday to discuss the Vera Bill and that if the president signed the bill the DA would have to “consider all options on how to proceed”.
“The same applies to the NHI. Our first instinct is to find solutions to those aspects of the NHI plan that are causing lasting damage to South Africa and our ability to provide healthcare for all. We would be happy to work together to find those solutions,” Steenhausen said.
“If that is not possible, we will pursue the interests of South Africans through all legal avenues available to us.”
Steenhausen reiterated the stance of the presidency at a briefing by spokesman Vincent Mugwenya on Wednesday that the conflict over GNU policy does not necessarily pose an existential threat to the government.
“It is crucial to understand that in a multi-party government like the GNU, conflicts over policy are normal and essential in a democracy. Conflicts do not necessarily pose an existential threat to the government,” Steenhausen said.
This does not mean that “the DA will never leave under any circumstances” or that the DA will not be part of a government that is not focused on job creation and economic growth.
If the ANC were to implement disastrous economic policies, undermine the constitution or undermine the independence of institutions like the South African Reserve Bank, the DA's “patriotic duty” would be to leave government and join the opposition.
“The DA will not bankrupt the government as long as the government does not bankrupt the economy or destroy the constitution,” he said.
Steenhausen acknowledged that with 22 per cent of the vote the DA “cannot have everything its way in government” and said the party's long-term and recent supporters needed to do the same.
Expecting the DA to dictate the terms is “undemocratic”, but so is a situation where “none of our priorities are implemented”, which is something the party cannot accept.
He said the DA holds the balance of power because without it “the government cannot have a majority in Parliament” and “the DA will not shy away from conflict where there is a risk of serious and lasting damage to our country and to the Constitution which is the foundation of our democracy”.
“In a multiparty government, leaders need to respect the constraints and obligations of their partners,” he said. “Leaders who try to ignore their partners will pay the price, because there will come a time when the tables turn and they will now need the understanding of those same partners.”
Steenhausen warned that if President Ramaphosa signed the bill, it would violate the letter and spirit of the statement of intent that formed the basis of the parties' coalition agreement.
President Ramaphosa stressed that this statement of intent remains central to the coalition agreement.
He said there will always be differences of opinion within the executive branch because that is normal in any relationship, especially between members of different political parties.
“Of course, we belong to parties with different manifestos and different ideologies, but what unites us is the statement of intent.”
It also laid the foundation for building consensus within the coalition, he said.
“When we met last night, we decided to set up what we call a processing team that will handle any issues that need to be addressed by leaders of all political parties in order to strengthen our good working relationship.”
“That processing team will discuss from time to time and identify any issues that need to be resolved.”
He acknowledged there was opposition to the NHI from both political and business circles, saying Business Unity South Africa had sent him a “fairly lengthy letter stating its opposition, as had other organisations”.
“They have asked me to negotiate with them and I have said to the minister, 'let's meet them'. We will meet with them and listen to the concerns that they have been raising for a long time.”
But he added that the NHI is enshrined in law passed by Congress and signed in May, suggesting the debate will revolve around how the scheme will be implemented, not whether it will be implemented.
“This Parliament has passed the bill, but in doing so it has taken into account a range of views expressed by many people across the country,” President Ramaphosa said.
“There are people who still want to discuss the implementation of the NHI. I am willing to discuss how this law will be implemented and listen to any concerns they may have.”
He was due to hold those discussions in the coming weeks.
The DA denounced the president's decision to sign and assent to the National Health Insurance Bill two weeks before the election as a populist ploy.