In moments of national transition and uncertainty, true leadership is tested — not when it’s easy to lead, but when it’s uncomfortable.
As concerns grow around the stability of South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU), a troubling pattern is emerging: key meetings are being postponed, reportedly to avoid politically sensitive discussions. This approach may buy time in the short term, but it risks long-term damage to the very foundation of the unity project.
Postponing difficult conversations is not leadership — it’s avoidance. And in a coalition as delicate and high-stakes as the GNU, every delay sends the wrong message: one of indecision, disunity, and eroding public trust.
South Africans didn’t vote for silence, sidestepping, or secrecy. They voted for solutions — and for leaders willing to sit at the table, even when the topics are hard, the stakes are high, and the outcomes are uncertain.
The reality is stark: if the GNU fails, we all feel the fallout — economically, socially, and politically. Its collapse would not just be a blow to governance but a signal to the world that South Africa’s leaders are incapable of rising above factionalism in the face of a national mandate for cooperation.
It’s time for those in power to remember: real unity isn’t built by dodging disagreements — it’s forged through them.
