Trump’s abrasive leadership style could teach the GNU a thing or two
Incoming United States (US) President Donald Trump wasted no time stirring things up, using his 21 January 2025 inauguration event to sign a stack of abrasive and far-reaching executive orders, setting the tone for the next four years. You can love or hate him as a person, but you cannot fault him for taking immediate action on his pre-election promises. At first glance, your writer wished that South Africa’s (SA) Government of National Unity (GNU) could emulate this no-nonsense approach to governance. However, the wish was fleeting, quickly tempered by the sobering realisation that, in the domestic context, such an approach could all too easily backfire, a classic case of ‘being careful what you wish for.’ This thinking will crystallise over the coming paragraphs.