The Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance (DA) meets on Monday at the party’s headquarters in Bruma, Johannesburg.
The party’s top leadership will be discussing power sharing arrangements after it garnered nearly 22% of the national vote, won the majority in the Western Cape, and showed a presence in all other provinces.
The DA will also specifically look at the African National Congress (ANC) proposal to form a government of national unity (GNU).
DA’s National Spokesperson Solly Malatsi says the party welcomes a possible working relationship with the ANC.
“The DA welcomes the fact that negotiations are now moving to a substantive negotiation phase. Our negotiation team based on the announcement made by the president last night have further meetings with other parties to listen to their views and reactions. We also hope to get more details from the ANC about the finer details of what a government of national unity entails which will then be deliberated by our federal executive and subsequently, our federal council will then be deliberated on Monday.”
Mixed views on ANC-DA coalition
Several stakeholders have expressed mixed views on the proposal to have the ANC and the DA working together.
Some ANC members, who are part of the #NotwithDA campaign in Gauteng, raised their objection to a coalition with the DA.
ANC member Esethu Hasane says there’s been a surge of media articles that seek to put pressure on the ANC by suggesting that the only coalition that would work is a DA coalition.
The South African Communist Party has also spoken out against it, with General Secretary, Solly Mapaila, saying that a coalition with the DA would be going against its anti-capitalist agenda.
Meanwhile, the DA laid down stringent conditions under which parties would be included in the GNU. The party had said it will only agree to be part of ANC’s proposed governing structure if the uMkhonto weSizwe, Economic Freedom Fighters and Patriotic Alliance were excluded.
VIDEO | Talks on government of national unity and coalitions continue:
The Democratic Alliance (DA) says that it will hold discussions with other opposition parties in a bid to constructively engage on the African National Congress (ANC) proposal to form a government of national unity (GNU).
This after ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement on the proposal last night following a protracted meeting of the party’s top leadership.
The DA, with nearly 22% of votes in the May 29 polls, is currently part of the Multiparty Charter which was formed to keep an ANC-EFF coalition out of power.
Now, however, the DA’s National spokesperson Solly Malatsi says the party welcomes a possible working relationship with the ANC.
“The DA welcomes the fact that negotiations are now moving to a substantive negotiation phase. Our negotiation team, based on the announcement made by the President last night, has further meetings with other parties to listen to their views and reactions. We also hope to get more details from the ANC about the finer details of what a government of national unity entails which, will then be deliberated by our Federal Executive and subsequently, our Federal Council will then be deliberated on Monday.”
Earlier, the DA laid down stringent conditions under which parties would be included in the GNU.
The party had said it will only agree to be part of ANC’s proposed governing structure if the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and Patriotic Alliance (PA) are excluded.
PODCAST | DA National spokesperson Werner Horn on the party appointing a coalition team:
VIDEO | Political Analyst Sandile Swana weighs in on the GNU:
President Cyril Ramaphosa has made an impassioned plea to political parties to work together for the good of the country.
The African National Congress (ANC) achieved just over 40% of the votes, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with almost 22%, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) secured over 14% and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) over 9%.
Voter turnout was 58.61%.
Over 16-million South Africans voted in the 2024 elections.
Ramaphosa says the results of the elections reflect the will of South Africans.
“What this election has made plain, is that the people of South Africa expect their leaders to work together to meet their needs. They expect the parties for which they have voted to find common ground, to overcome their differences, to act and work together for the good of everyone,” adds Ramaphosa.
Meanwhile, the DA says it has appointed a team of senior members who will embark on talks with other political parties regarding coalitions at national and provincial levels.
The DA leader John Steenhuisen says the party’s leadership has agreed on how to explore coalition talks.
2024 Elections | Could a government of national unity be on the cards? Ongama Mtimka
Rise Mzansi says it does not question the overall integrity of the 2024 national and provincial elections. However, they have expressed unhappiness with the voting process on Wednesday.
The party leader Songezo Zibi engaged the media at the National Results Centre in Midrand following a dismal showing by the party, which received point four of a percent of the national vote with almost all results in.
“Based on its own previous performance the IEC’s performance in this election was below par. My own experience as a voter was terrible, compared to previous elections and I’ve voted in the same voting station since 2006. Since the 2006 local government elections and the experience that I had has been below par. We have filed several complaints ourselves with the IEC because there are discrepancies in the performance of some of the voting stations. We do not however, question the overall outcome of the election.”
2024 Elections | ‘The experience of being in this election has taught us a lot’: Songezo Zibi:
The party campaigned primarily on an anti-illegal foreigner ticket – with the by-line Abahambe, “They must go”. PA President Gayton McKenzie was speaking to the media at the Results Centre in Midrand.
“With us we don’t have a preference in parties. Everybody knows if they want to talk to the PA number one is Abahambe we don’t want finance, we want home affairs. So if you want to to us start with home affairs we must give EFF finance but with PA home affairs. And if you have another one extra, police. So once we have got them we take them out of the country. But home affairs for us is number one.”
