Cape Town — As the Government of National Unity (GNU) slowly begins to take shape, the Patriotic Alliance (PA) believes its GNU ally, the Democratic Alliance (DA) are political bullies.
The PA, led by the controversial Gayton McKenzie and Kenny Kunene, wants the DA out of the GNU and described the organisation as a political bully.
This comes after the party had stalled negotiations due to their unreasonable demands of 12 cabinet positions.
PA deputy leader, Kunene, said the DA had threatened to ditch the GNU, and the two parties are not seemingly struggling to put their respective differences aside in the interests off the GNU, EWN reported.
The two organisations have publicly expressed their discontent over working together, citing their disputes at local government level. Junene said the other GNU parties are not dancing to the tune of DA federal chairperson, Helen Zille.
“We will continue to serve South Africans to influence policy and legislation, that is why we are in the GNU. But the DA does not want that. The DA wants its their way or the highway. They are threatening to pull out, let them pull out. Abahambe.” Kunene said.
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According to The Citizen, the PA are among two parties that are a direct threat to the DA – the other party being ActionSA. Many political experts feel that th two parties will make life difficult for the DA as they are stealing voters – the middle class for ActionSA and coloured voters for PA.
Political analyst Prof Ntsikelelo Breakfast said ActionSA was called “DA-lite” for a reason – because, like the DA, it pursued neoliberal and free market policies. ActionSA appealed to the middle class and believes in a direct, constituency-based electoral system, social justice, ethical leadership and rule of law.
The PA, led by McKenzie, a businessman and former convict, was open about competing against the DA for the coloured vote. PA secretary-general Chinelle Stevens said the fight with the DA was due to the PA daring to enter the DA’s stronghold of Western Cape.
“The real issue here is that the DA, by its leader’s own admission, sees the Western Cape as its entitlement, its homeland and that no other party should dare go there to campaign – lest they upset John Steenhuisen,” she said.
“The PA not only dared but we have enjoyed great political success in the Western Cape. The DA’s obsession with keeping us out of its provincial fortress has now sadly spilled over to the [government of national unity].” she added.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
