Deputy President Paul Mashatile has spearheaded a push to reshape the ruling coalition through new draft rules for its dispute resolution committee, effectively neutering the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Vryheidsfront Plus (VF+) while imposing controls on their ability to criticise the ANC.

Leading the charge and effectively pushing aside Ramahposa in the process, Mashatile has proposed to scrap the "sufficient consensus" clause in the agreement (60% agreement in the National Assembly) in favour of a mere "majority consensus" (over 50%). This change allows the ANC (39.8%), alongside smaller parties like the IFP (4.3%), PA (2.3%), VF+ (1.5%), UDM (0.75%), or others, to resolve disputes and push decisions without needing the DA (21.8%), effectively sidelining its voice. The original "sufficient consensus" clause, which ensured the DA’s relevance by necessitating its agreement with the ANC, is now being discarded, exposing the DA and VF+ to near-total subservience.

Mashatile’s influence also extends to easing the entry of new parties into the GNU. The draft rules stipulate that only a majority consensus is needed to admit new members, bypassing the original requirement for all existing parties to agree. Mashatile has openly championed this "reconfiguration," as seen in his remarks at a Chris Hani memorial, where he hinted at including parties like ActionSA and Bosa. The ANC has already ignored protocols by inviting new parties without consulting the DA or IFP, further marginalizing them.

The rules also impose strict compliance, demanding that GNU partners "refrain from undermining the collective authority of the Cabinet" and adhere to decisions from GNU structures. This directly undermines the DA and VF+, who have criticized President Cyril Ramaphosa’s promulgation of contentious laws like the Expropriation Act, Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, and National Health Insurance. The rules explicitly bar parties from challenging the "legislative authority of parliament or the executive authority of the president and Cabinet," rendering dissent from the DA and VF+ impotent.

While Ramaphosa remains a figurehead, Mashatile’s radical approach has driven these changes, exploiting disputes over the budget to weaken the DA’s bargaining power. The ANC’s repeated disregard for the GNU’s founding agreement—evident when it nearly lowered the consensus threshold to 50% before Ramaphosa’s election—underscores Mashatile’s strategy to consolidate control, leaving the DA and VF+ with little room to maneuver in a coalition increasingly shaped by his vision.

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