Cape Town – Tensions are rising in South Africa’s government of national unity (GNU) even before Cabinet posts are allocated.
The ANC and Patriotic Alliance (PA) have criticised DA federal chair Helen Zille for allegedly acting prematurely and self-servingly.
The PA accused Zille of seeking attention and being narcissistic, while ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli llabeled the DA as opportunistic for positioning itself as the primary GNU leader.
Fikile Mbalula was interviewed before Helen Zille last night, Helen wanted to be given time to mop the floors of SABC with Mbaks using clause 24.😭
Great interviews my brother. @TheRealClementM
Try to get them in studio tonight, I wanna see something 😅 pic.twitter.com/OJip2FKgjd
— m a s h è s h a 💨 (@_mashesha) June 19, 2024
Zille argued that the ANC cannot include other parties in the GNU without consulting the DA. She emphasised that the ANC, DA, and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), as the founding parties, should jointly decide on admissions, as outlined in the statement of intent signed by the three parties last Friday.
But, according to The Citizen, some viewed the statement of intent as merely a precursor to the actual establishment of the government, not an official GNU agreement.
Charles Cilliers, the PA’s head of strategy, called Zille “delusional” for asserting that the ANC should have consulted the DA before including the PA in the GNU.
“That clause in the statement of intent is referring to the government or when the GNU has been constituted,” he said.
“It will come into effect once President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed the Cabinet and when we all know who is in or out.
“Some of the parties that have been invited by the ANC may not be in the Cabinet, including the PA,” Cilliers said.
“At the moment the GNU is just an idea; it’s the same as a memorandum of understanding.
“As it is, it’s just an agreement to agree, it’s not the GNU final agreement that will bind us all.”
Meanwhile, the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) said that the DA has no authority to make demands regarding new admissions into the GNU.
According to EWN, ANCYL president Collen Malatji said that the DA cannot dictate terms and should leave the GNU if they disagree.
He asserted that the ANC would not yield to unreasonable demands.
“There is no DA that determines what happens in the government of national unity. They are invited. I can’t invite you to my house and then when you get to my house, you tell me not to put my furniture in. If they don’t want to be part of the GNU, they must leave.”
Zille plans to challenge the ANC in court for including other parties without consulting the DA.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
