SA’s Political Players - Mashatile’s strategic brilliance; Shivambu’s missing hatred for Zuma

With the Government of National Unity having been in power for over two months already, BizNews asked Dr. Ina Gouws of the Department of Political Studies and Governance at Free State University for her impressions. She dissects the early achievements of the GNU as well as the coalition chaos at provincial and municipal level. She doesn’t think there's “a better strategist” than Vice President Paul Mashatile “in terms of moving himself and maneuvering himself into certain positions and being able to find himself in the right place at the right time for his own sake.” Analysing the defection of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Floyd Shivambu to MK were he is now the National Organiser, she says” “His hatred that he displayed in Parliament of Jacob Zuma and what he's done seemingly disappeared at a moment where opportunity was given to him to maybe take up that position. And maybe he has ambitions to one day lead MK or lead this grand leftist progressive coalition to challenge the Government of National Unity…” Meanwhile, she feels it is just a matter of time before the African National Congress (ANC) “reigns in” the GNU-defiant Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi. As for Herman Mashaba’s ActionSA getting into bed with the ANC in Joburg, she comments: “What they are willing to do on local level and willing to tolerate and willing to protect even for seemingly the sake of just keeping the DA out…”