Also known as: GNU
South African coalition government including the Democratic Alliance and other parties led by President Ramaphosa.
Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
Windhoek Observer
Government of National Unity emerged from unprecedented political realignment in South Africa
“South Africa's current Government of National Unity emerged from an unprecedented political realignment.”
What South Africa’s conference of the left reveals about a deeper political crisisThe Namibian
Government of National Unity is a coalition of 10 political parties that negotiated the government structure
“We had to put together a Government of National Unity with 10 political parties that sat down and negotiated the structure of the government we have now.”
Ramaphosa says he ‘would like’ fewer deputy ministers, but political realities dictate otherwiseThe Namibian
Government of National Unity adopted consensus-based decision-making as its model
“The GNU has adopted consensus, rather than majority-based decision-making as its model.”
The Challenge of National Interest vs Party InterestsDemocratic Alliance leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has removed John Steenhuisen as South African agriculture minister and demoted him to deputy minister of trade, industry and competition. Willie Aucamp, a farmer, will replace Steenhuisen, with Hill-Lewis requesting several other cabinet shuffles in the DA's coalition government roles, pending Ramaphosa's approval.
18 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Democratic Alliance leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has removed John Steenhuisen as South African agriculture minister and demoted him to deputy minister of trade, industry and competition. Willie Aucamp, a farmer, will replace Steenhuisen, with Hill-Lewis requesting several other cabinet shuffles in the DA's coalition government roles, pending Ramaphosa's approval.
18 June 2026 · The Namibian →
The recent Conference of the Left in South Africa represents a symptom of a deeper structural transition across Southern Africa, where the historical legitimacy of liberation movements is weakening while no new political paradigm has emerged with sufficient credibility to replace it, leaving a vacuum of authority that breeds chaos, inequality, and extreme political shifts.
10 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's 2026 State of the Nation Address employed careful political calculations to address diverse constituencies—including populists demanding military intervention, ANC loyalists seeking preservation of state ownership, free-marketeers wanting private sector participation, and others—while deliberately omitting topics like the Expropriation Act and farm murders that might alienate coalition partners. The speech also downgraded previous priorities like the Fourth Industrial Revolution in favour of green economy rhetoric, and reduced the urgency around gender-based violence despite its earlier treatment as a national emergency.
13 February 2026 · The Namibian →
The Democratic Alliance is heading into a leadership contest marked by deep internal tensions over its participation in the Government of National Unity, the outsized influence of federal council chairperson Helen Zille, and broader questions of party identity and inclusivity. The departure of former MP Dion George—who accused the party of lacking transparency—has exposed a climate of fear and accusations that the DA practices internally the opposite of the values it preaches nationally.
25 January 2026 · The Namibian →