ActionSA has made a U-turn on its interest in joining the Government of National Unity (GNU) just two months after it partnered with the ANC, which leads the GNU, in passing the Budget vote.

The party released its “GNU Performance Tracker” on Tuesday, which aims to objectively assess the coalition government’s performance last year.

The tracker paints a bleak picture of the government’s failures, awarding it a series of failing grades across six critical themes, including ethical leadership and public service, the economy, infrastructure, basic services, education, and crime.

Despite indications from its leader, Herman Mashaba, just months ago that it may consider joining the coalition, that includes the DA, Action SA has slammed the GNU effectively ruling out joining.

A while ago the party saved the ANC from being embarrassed after it voted with them during the passing of the 0.5 percentage point VAT hike and the fiscal framework document in parliament.

Mashaba, at the time, had shown interest in joining the GNU.

However, ActionSA’s parliamentary leader, Athol Trollip, has ruled out these assertions, saying his party would rather focus on being a constructive opposition.

Trollip said supporting the ANC in passing the Budget did not mean they were interested in joining the GNU.

“We have always maintained that the ANC when we were backing them during the budget battle, that we didn’t want any incentives or to be part of the GNU,” he reportedly said.

He added that his party did not regret its decision not to join the GNU arrangement a year ago.

While the EFF and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party also widely criticised the GNU’s performance one year on, ActionSA gave the government an F for leadership and public service, citing excessive government spending and criticising the size of the “bloated cabinet”.

 ActionSA MP Alan Beasley painted a grim picture of unemployment and the economy, awarding the government an F-grade. 

“In South Africa, we have 8.3 million people unemployed. There are a further 3.5 million workers who have been discouraged who have given up looking for work. So, there are nearly 12 million South Africans that are unemployed — 12 million South Africans that are being psychologically murdered because of unemployment,” Beasley said.

ActionSA’s education assessment revealed critical systemic failures, with the high school dropout rate alarming. Only 53.6% of students who start grade 10 complete matric, a number that had dropped from 55.3% in 2024. The crime landscape also remained dire, with a staggering 5,727 murders recorded between January and March 2025.

“We don’t want to be in the Government of National Unity. We are perfectly placed between a hegemonic GNU and a big, but hopeless opposition,” Trollip said. 

He said the party will focus on being a constructive opposition, supporting where it can and opposing where it must.

GNU front leaders, the ANC, had not commented on Action SA’s assessment.

However, its first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane says her party must do an introspection on the GNU a year after its formation.

mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za

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