In Cape Town, South Africa, the leader of the Democratic Alliance, John Steenhuisen, foresees potential conflicts among partners in the country’s new coalition government. Despite this, he believes it won’t be disastrous for South Africa’s prospects of addressing its challenges. The Democratic Alliance unexpectedly joined forces with the African National Congress following the national election in May, forming a coalition government between political adversaries.

Steenhuisen referred to the partnership as a “marriage of inconvenience” for South Africa, a country grappling with issues like poverty, inequality, unemployment, and struggling state-owned enterprises. He acknowledged that disagreements over policies between his center-right DA and the left-leaning ANC are probable over the next five years to tackle the nation’s deep-seated crisis.

The coalition government, comprising the ANC, DA, and eight other smaller parties, was established in June to navigate South Africa’s significant unemployment rate of 32%, one of the highest globally outside of conflict zones. The economy has experienced minimal growth over the past decade, prompting Steenhuisen to emphasize the importance of economic growth and job creation as top priorities for his party in governance.

Steenhuisen highlighted potential areas of contention between the DA and ANC, such as an education bill and a national health law, where the two parties stand in opposition. Despite the areas of disagreement, Steenhuisen noted that there are numerous policies the parties have aligned on to reform the economy and address pressing issues like poverty and unemployment.

The DA, under Steenhuisen’s leadership as the Minister of Agriculture, remains committed to advancing economic reforms that foster job creation and poverty alleviation. While conflicts may arise between coalition partners, Steenhuisen emphasized the shared goals of both the ANC and DA in steering South Africa towards economic recovery and social development.