By Doreen Mokgolo
ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula has dismissed a protest by ANC members who want a meeting of party bosses to reject the DA’s involvement in a future coalition government.
He said the protest was unfortunate as the ANC has not announced plans to work with the DA.
“This is a time for sober minds. We are not locking ourselves up to one option but looking at all the options available,” said Mbalula.
“We have keen interests in seeing the ANC manifesto implemented. The six million ANC voters want continuity of the ANC, jobs, and growth of the economy.”
Mbalula was responding to a group of ANC members protesting outside the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg, where the party is holding its special national executive committee (NEC) meeting to discuss premier candidates and coalitions.
The 27-member national working committee (NWC) will report on the strategic framework for moving forward with consultations with other political parties on coalitions.
The NEC will consider the NWC’s report and further mandate how they will constitute government.
A protestor, Esethu Hasane, said ANC members are concerned that the party wants to form a coalition with a party that has declared them enemy number one.
“We have witnessed the media campaign pushed by the DA and rating agencies stating that the DA is the only option that the ANC could go into a coalition with,” said Hasane.
“The markets and the rand didn’t wash people’s laundry during door-to-door campaigns and didn’t do ‘come duze’ with the six million voters of the ANC.”
Hasane said that when people voted for the ANC, they were also voting against the DA, which had declared the ANC its enemy since the dawn of democracy.
“You don’t go to war and then reward Steenhuisen and Helen Zille with positions in government, especially when you know they are anti-transformation,” he said.
Pictured above: ANC NEC members.
Image source: Doreen Mokgolo
