ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula has challenged the DA to leave the Government of National Unity (GNU) following the party’s recent threat to boycott the upcoming National Dialogue.

The confrontation between the two parties follows hot on the heels of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent axing of former deputy minister Andrew Whitfield, who apparently undertook an unauthorised trip to the United States.

DA leader John Steenhuisen, addressing the media on Saturday slammed Ramaphosa’s decision to fire Whitfield, claiming it was indicative of the president’s inconsistent approach to governance while also “threatening to destabilise the GNU unless all so-called delinquent ANC ministers are removed from their positions within 48 hours.

When Ramaphosa ignored the DA’s ultimatum, Steenhuisen announced that the DA would not participate in the National Dialogue and that it would vote against upcoming departmental budget votes for the departments headed by Minister Thembi Simelane, Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, and other corruption-accused ANC ministers.

Speaking during the 3rd day of the OR Tambo Regional Conference in the Eastern Cape yesterday, Mbalula said that the GNU is not a permanent feature but a temporary partnership among all the coalition parties.

Mbalula stated that the ANC and Ramaphosa will not be bullied and disrespected by the DA and its leaders who continuously threaten to destabilse the GNU.

“We are not at the mercy of the DA. We are in this coalition because we respected the outcomes of the elections and the interests of the people of South Africa. That is why we have characterised this as a strategic setback.

“It is not a permanent feature.  The GNU is not a melting pot. We did say that there are ten political parties in the GNU and the DA did not want this. Now, I see why they did not want this as they wanted to squeeze us and put us in a corner, but we turned the tables around and we put them in our own trap. Now they are in a deeper trap,” he added.

Meanwhile DA ministers intending to boycott the  National Dialogue will have to provide Ramaphosa with valid reasons for their non-attendance or their absence will be regarded as insubordination, says the Presidency. 

The Inter-Ministerial Committee(IMC) on the National Dialogue  appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa includes DA leader John Steenhuisen as  Agriculture Minister. 

“Any member of Cabinet who wishes to no longer participate in the IMC will have to provide reasons to the President. Hopefully, they’ll also think about the consequences of such insubordination. Because that’s how the President will regard any non-participation as insubordination,” said Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.

The ANC has weighed in on the DA’s latest move, saying:  “This response speaks volumes about the DA’s character, they are willing to undermine national interests in pursuit of their narrow partisan agenda.

“The ANC firmly believes that this dialogue is not merely an event, it is a critical process in pursuit of social compacting, unity, and national renewal. At this juncture, it is imperative for the DA to clarify its stance: is it a genuine and principled partner in the GNU, or is it positioning itself as a quasi-opposition within the executive.”

The National Dialogue aims to address South Africa’s ongoing challenges, such as poverty, crime, inequality and unemployment, which continue despite 30 years of democracy. 

University of the Free Political Studies and Governance lecturer Sanet Solomon said the DA’s moves in the GNU could damage its supporter base.  

“The DAs decision to withdraw itself from the National Dialogue sends a message to its supporters that it is ‘actively standing up’ against the ANC and that it is not passively going along with all its decisions. This display of ‘ showmanship’ is just a façade as the party cannot leave the GNU without damaging its support base. 

“Post May-2024 it (the DA) tried convincing voters that allying with the GNU would result in better governance and a reduction in corruption. Should it leave the GNU now, its voting base might revert to the FF+, the Good Party, the Patriotic Alliance and others as they may believe that the DA cannot co-govern with others. Should the DA stay, it would be stuck trying to convince its supporters that it has influence in the GNU’s decision-making. Either way, they are stuck in a catch-22,” said Solomon.

Efforts to reach both DA spokespeople, Willie Aucamp and Karabo Khakhau were  unsuccessful yesterday.

THE MERCURY

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