When the government of national unity (GNU) took office in July 2024, it was hailed as a moment of renewal. After a fiercely contested election, citizens were promised a coalition that would rise above narrow interests, tackle the country’s mounting crises and breathe new life into a democracy under strain. A year later, the reality is sobering; the GNU has survived its first 12 months, but its record of delivery is worryingly thin.
The Sivio Institute, through its South Africa Citizens Watch Platform (SACWP), has tracked the GNU’s performance against 121 promises made by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his Opening of Parliament Address and the Medium-Term Development Plan (2024–29). The SACWP is intended to spark a conversation about the importance of re-imagining beyond a pre-occupation with free and fair elections. The tracking work creates scope for an ongoing public discussion on a compact between citizens and officeholders established through manifestos and other instruments that office bearers use to secure votes. In many cases these manifestos are forgotten soon after elections.
The institute’s latest report, Finding Their Feet? Assessment of South Africa’s Government of National Unity First Year in Office, paints a clear picture. Only 26 promises, just 21%, have commenced. None have been fully implemented. The overall progress of the GNU’s first year in office stands at a meagre 9%.
These promises touched on the economy, governance, corruption, climate change and social services. They were not abstract; they were assurances to South Africans that jobs would be created, corruption would be confronted, schools and hospitals would improve, and that the country would take climate action seriously. To see so little movement one year on is a warning sign for both the coalition and the democratic project itself.
On the economy, out of 44 promises, progress is at 12%. Some of the highlights include the passing of the Appropriation Bill. The small steps on land reform and business support are positive, but disputes within the GNU, especially over a proposed VAT increase, have delayed budgets, rattled investors and deepened uncertainty. On governance, reforms remain largely aspirational, with only 4% progress on 22 promises.
While Operation Vulindlela Phase II and a digital roadmap have been launched, a joint initiative led by the office of the presidency and the treasury, launched in October 2020 as means of fast-tracking structural reforms aimed at reforms in five key areas with a high potential impact on growth and jobs: energy, logistics, telecommunications, water and the visa system. In May 2025, the government launched the second phase that is also focused on implementation of structural reforms to enable economic growth, job creation and digital transformation. Nonetheless, broader institutional changes are stalled, reflecting how coalition politics can easily slip from unity into paralysis.
The fight against corruption is also faltering. Asset recovery efforts are under way, but commitments to create independent anti-corruption bodies or reform state-owned enterprises remain unfulfilled. The government has made 15% progress on seven promises in the corruption cluster. The recent final report of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (NACAC) has raised concern that elected leaders are not serious about confronting the rot. Among its key recommendations is the establishment of a permanent, independent Office of Public Integrity and Anti-Corruption, an overarching body mandated to prevent, investigate and remedy systemic corruption. This proposal directly responds to the State Capture Commission’s call for stronger institutional safeguards, offering a way to insulate anti-corruption efforts from political interference.
On climate change, the record is bleak: of the six promises made, not one has seen action. Zero progress in a year of record-breaking heat and drought is more than a missed opportunity; it is a failure with long-term consequences. The GNU promised to treat climate change as a national priority.
Some progress was noted in the social services cluster, there have been improvements in school infrastructure, delivery daily meals and the passage of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act. But budget cuts have undermined these gains, leaving health, housing and social protection under pressure.
Behind these outcomes lies a common problem, fragility. The GNU’s divisions spill into policy paralysis, communication is fragmented and timelines remain unclear. Citizens are left guessing whether promises are being honoured or quietly shelved. On top of this, South Africa’s international positioning has grown more complicated. The recent cooling of relations with the United States, one of the country’s longstanding biggest trading partners, casts uncertainty over trade and investment flows.
One year in, the GNU faces a crisis of delivery and legitimacy. Public frustration is rising as unemployment persists, services are cut and corruption remains unchecked. Unless the coalition moves quickly from crisis management to genuine reform, transparency and accountability, it risks being remembered as another failed governance experiment, with profound implications for South Africa’s democratic future.
The GNU is not just for South Africa. Much like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which became a global reference point for transitional justice, the GNU experiment carries continental significance. Other countries grappling with fragile democracies and coalition arrangements will be watching closely. If South Africa makes the GNU work through delivering stability, reforms and development, it could provide a template for others to replicate.
The work being done by the Sivio Institute and others is rooted in the belief that democracy cannot function without accountability. The African Citizens Watch Platform empowers citizens with evidence-based information to hold leaders to account. Tracking progress is not about embarrassing leaders; it is about strengthening governance by insisting that those elected honour the trust bestowed in them.
On 16 September 2025 at 3pm, the Sivio Institute, together with ACT Ubumbano, will launch the Government of National Unity anniversary report at the Origins Centre, Wits University, Johannesburg.
Nyasha Mcbride Mpani is a project leader for the data for governance alliance project at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation based in Cape Town and Yolokazi Mfuto is a research associate at the Sivio Institute serving as a country researcher for South Africa.
Only 26 promises made to the electorate, only 21%, have started and none have been fully implemented
