POLITRICKING: Dean Macpherson says statement of intent not enough to keep GNU intact

“The DA was blindsided, out-manoeuvred throughout that period,” says Dean MacPherson who believes his party, the Democratic Alliance was simply too trusting of coalition partner the ANC, in the formation of the 10-party government of national unity.

The minister of Public Works Dean MacPherson says dealing with a political party that did not enter power-sharing talks in good faith has resulted in the current impasse between the two largest Government of National Unity (GNU) partners over the proposed budget, which was tabled on the 12th of March, following its postponement the previous month.

Macpherson, who is also the DA’s KwaZulu Natal chairperson, is this week’s Politricking with Tshidi Madia guest.

He told the EWN politics podcast that he believes some headway will be made on the budget, the DA refused to endorse it with its 0.5 percentage point VAT increase, a figure revised from the previously suggested 2 percentage point hike.

This as he emphasised the need for GNU partners to create a more formal agreement to navigate difference of opinions on various issues.

In the months since the coalition agreement was cobbled together, through a statement of intent, there have been endless public spats as party members clashed over government departments, acts being signed in by the president and foreign policy.

“I think something that needs to be put on the table is a coalition agreement that actually deals with that trust deficit, that there is not an ability to ambush each other… that we deal with things in a more structured way than they currently are,” remarked MacPherson.

He said some of the developments following the agreement to work together took his party by surprise.

“We expected the cabinet to be the size that it was, we didn't expect two deputy ministers to be added in or that the budget to just be sort of thrown at us in the way and that it was, or that our concerns or views wouldn't be taken as seriously as they were,” he said.

While questions on how long the GNU will hold are likely to continue, MacPherson said there was a view in the DA, as once shared by Western Cape premier Alan Winde that the longer it remains intact, the more likely it is to hold throughout the 7th parliament.

“Every month that the government holds together, it makes it harder to break up. I thought long and hard about that, because the longer it continues, the more entrenched it becomes in society,” said MacPherson.

The minister also weighed in on his portfolio, which he said has been a sore point for government for a long time.

MacPherson said he took on the role understanding that there was a deep layer of rot but has also grown to appreciate the good, competent and skilled staffers in the department.

“I'm trying to deal with the problems, and there are some real structural problems that exist within the department. We have major financial problems as well, but at the same time, I’m trying to gear it towards the future, to become what we term as an asset management entity, that we own all of these buildings, all of this land valued at hundreds of billions of rands but they aren’t generating any income or annuity for the state.”

In the hour-long conversation MacPherson also reflected on the well-documented tensions between himself and his deputy minister Sihle Zikalala, who also happens to be the previous public works minister.

“Its difficult Tshidi, and in some respect, I have sympathy for him.”

“My approach has been right at the very beginning to say, I understand it's difficult. I will do everything that I can to make it easier, and I genuinely have and continue to try but I'm also not going to be held accountable and responsible for the actions of other people, what they determine or what they want to say in public. I'm not his boss,” added MacPherson.

He admits to the difficulty his own party has experienced due to the birth of the GNU and the impact of some of its most senior leaders now having to manage government’s hefty workload. MacPherson tries to navigate this by dedicating at least his Mondays and Saturdays to party work but recognises that some in his organisation will be aggrieved at those picked to serve in the national government.

“We are a political party, that’s always going to happen,” he explained.

MacPherson said he and his cabinet colleagues in the DA have tried to remain in touch with organisational work, especially with the local government elections now just around the corner.

“It's hugely, hugely tricky and I taken the point that I think that we're going to have to think long and hard about how we do that for these elections and the next one coming up,” the minister said.

MacPherson a well-known ally of DA federal leader John Steenhuisen also continues batting for the leader, praising him for managing to hold the organisation together, to move beyond the 2019 clash that saw Steenhuisen’s predecessor Mmusi Maimane not only quit the role but leave the party.

“What John has done, no other leader in the history of the DA has done. He led us into national government. He will always be remembered and thanked for that,” said MacPherson.