With ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa having announced on Thursday that the ruling party aims to form a Government of National Unity in the country, it has already emerged that the EFF is not willing to work with the DA and vice versa in such an arrangement.
Addressing the media after the ANC’s NEC reflection regarding the party’s pathetic showing in the 29 May 2024 general elections, Ramaphosa said the following:
“We believe that there is a need for National Dialogue which brings together all parties, all social parties and all sections of society to seek consensus on the actions required to take the country forward.”
Ramaphosa said such a dialogue will enhance the pressing task of rebuilding social cohesion in a fractured society following a particularly toxic and divisive election campaign.
He revealed that the ANC’s national task team has already held constructive discussions with the Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Inkatha Freedom Party, National Freedom Party and Patriotic Alliance.
“We have also engaged with our Alliance partners to brief them on the process and will continue to seek their invaluable views and guidance” said Ramaphosa.
He said all parties in the Government of National Unity must commit to shared values, nation-building and social cohesion and these values include respect for the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the rule of law, social justice, equality, human dignity, non-racialism and non-sexism.
“Agreements between parties should be in writing and should be made public, transparent and include measures for holding parties accountable,” announced Ramaphosa.
“The ANC notes that we have ideological and political differences with several parties in our political landscape and the Government of National Unity is the most viable, most effective and most powerful way of meeting the expectations of all South Africans at this particular moment,” he said.
Meanwhile, both the EFF and DA have indicated that they won’t be part of the Government of National Unity if either of them is part of the proposed government.
EFF Deputy President Floyd Shivambu told the media on Friday that the red berets won’t take part in a government that includes DA and VF parties as they are racist.
“We can’t work with racist white monopoly parties which are opposed to land expropriation without compensation, nationalisation of banks and mines and free education,” said Shivambu.
The party’s leader Julius Malema has announced on social media that the EFF was not like former President Nelson Mandela and won’t take part in the Government of National Unity but wants to enter into coalitions with some parties.
On the other hand, DA national spokesperson Werner Horn told the media that as long as the EFF, the MK Party and the Patriotic Alliance were part of the envisaged Government of National Unity then the DA won’t be part of it.