The former deputy finance minister has to salvage ties with Washington amid a diplomatic deep freeze and global trade war
The parties remain divided over an increase in VAT, which the DA says South Africans cannot afford
The department of international relations and cooperation rejected the claim, saying the government was bound by the Constitution to defend the rights of South Africans of all races
Tension between the DA and ANC persists but ActionSA may keep them together
The Democratic Alliance’s federal executive has held an urgent meeting to decide how to respond to an invitation to talks by the ANC’s national working committee
The ANC has bought itself time to decide whether to expel its constantly restive coalition partner
Both parties are mindful of the magnitude of a split as South Africa faces more economic turmoil
The Democratic Alliance now plans to challenge the fiscal framework in court, further raising the tension around its future in the ruling coalition
But the presidency said on Wednesday the crunch vote on the fiscal framework was a test of the party’s commitment to the GNU
The agreement came thanks to a lifeline ActionSA threw the ANC