South Africa’s coalition government is near collapse, as that country struggles to deal with internal tensions and the challenge posed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who broke an international taboo by criticizing the country openly.
The coalition was formed last year after voters punished the long-dominant African National Congress (ANC) for its mismanagement and corruption by giving it less than a majority for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994.
The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), which performed well in second place, theoretically could have formed an alternative government with a coalition of small parties, but decided to enter a Government of National Unity (GNU).
However, the ANC managed to outmaneuver the DA in negotiations, keeping most of the critical economic positions for itself, and retaining control of the ministry of foreign affairs, keeping South Africa in an anti-American posture.
Tensions had long been rising, and came to the fore in the last few weeks, when the DA rejected the ANC’s budget, which included an increase in the value added tax (VAT) by two percentage points. The ANC drew up a new budget, this time with a one-percentage-point increase, spread over two years. The DA voted against the budget, but votes from smaller opposition parties helped to pass. The ANC is now said to be plotting to kick the DA out of the coalition.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., Congress has joined a diplomatic battle that, until now, has primarily involved President Trump. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) introduced the “Afrikaner Act” on Thursday to help beleaguered white farmers resettle in the United States, and Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) introduced the U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025, which includes a full description of South Africa’s problematic foreign and domestic policies.
South Africa’s foreign ministry claimed earlier this week to have resolved tensions between the two countries by sending senior diplomats, in place of expelled Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, to explain to the Trump administration why the president was wrong about their country. They offered no compromises; he criticized South Africa again.
South Africa also found itself hit by a 30% tariff this week, as part of Trump’s reciprocal tariff policy. South Africa claims that its tariffs on U.S. goods are low, though that claim ignores non-tariff barriers to trade. In a possible sign of a willingness to compromise, South Africa has decided, for now, not to raise its tariffs on American goods.
If the South African coalition collapses, the ANC could invite radical parties, such as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), into the coalition; or it could try to form an unstable government with small parties. New elections are also possible.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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