A key party in South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) laid criminal charges for corruption against an education minister on Tuesday, in a new escalation of tensions within the ruling alliance.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is the second-largest party in the government, which was formed after the African National Congress lost its majority last year due to voter disillusionment with corruption and mismanagement under ANC rule.
The 10-party coalition has been credited with renewing some confidence in South Africa after years of graft and infrastructure collapse.
But it has been dogged by objections to various policies, mainly from the DA, raising fears the government could collapse.
Laid charges
In the latest dispute, DA representatives laid charges at a Cape Town police station against Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane.
They alleged she lied to parliament to cover up the “fraudulent appointment” of ANC-linked people to education authority boards.
“Corruption in the executive has become standard practice under President Cyril Ramaphosa’s watch,” the party said.
It stressed that lying to parliament was a criminal offence.
The row was sparked by Ramaphosa’s firing last week of a DA deputy minister who the president’s office said had made an unauthorised overseas trip.
The DA announced on Saturday it was withdrawing from a “national dialogue” announced by Ramaphosa to tackle a host of problems confronting the country.
It vowed to take measures against ANC government ministers it accuses of corruption.
‘Corrupt ministers’
“We’re taking action because the president of the country, the president of the ANC, refuses to act on corrupt ministers,” DA member of parliament Baxolile Nodada told reporters outside the police station.
Nodada said one of the reasons the DA had joined the government of national unity was “to make sure that we fight against corruption and cadre deployment”.
He was referring to claims that key appointments were being made based on party allegiance rather than on competence.
Will the GNU ever really work or will it fall apart sooner rather than later?
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