At the 11th hour, the MK Party (MKP) led by Jacob Zuma did a U-turn on its earlier stance not to participate in the coalition talks with the ANC due to the involvement of the DA.
This decision has resulted in the delay by the ANC to finalise its coalition partner following widespread criticism over its intention to partner with the DA in the government of national unity.
In a statement, released just after 9pm, the MKP confirmed that it has finally agreed to engage in talks with the governing party which after the national general elections had taken a blow with a paltry 40% share of the votes.
“The MK Party confirms engagements with the ANC have already taken place regarding the coalition discussions. The meeting is expected to take place soon, where the MK Party will hear the views presented with an open mind, while firmly prioritising the inspirations and aspirations of the South African majority and blacks in particular,” MKP spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula revealed that it had approached the new kingmakers in the MKP with a view to finding common ground on the coalition talks.
However, Mbalula said these attempts had not yielded any fruitful results.
This comes after the MKP had said it will not engage with the ANC if President Cyril Ramaphosa remained at the helm. It is not clear yet if this agreement will mean the end of possible partnerships with the DA after some members of the ANC as well as members of the tripartite alliance cautioned the ANC from involving the DA in its possible partners.
The DA has publicly agreed to form a government of national unity with the ANC, EFF and IFP as possible partners.
Many political analysts and Dr Allan Boesak, politician and anti-apartheid activist, this week expressed grave concerns about complexities and challenges facing the ANC and the nation at large.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday Independent, Boesak noted that the current situation faced by the ruling party is indeed unprecedented. Unlike the carefully orchestrated transition of 1994, today’s political terrain is fraught with uncertainty and lacks the groundwork laid in the past.
“We’ve never been in a situation like this … So it is legitimate to ask how would it then work on a national level,” he said.
Meanwhile, ActionSA on Thursday announced its separation from the failed Multi-Party Charter which included the DA, ACDP, IFP and Freedom Front Plus launched last year in a bid to prevent an ANC-EFF coalition government.
Speaking during a media briefing on Thursday, ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont indicated that the party would no longer continue being in a partnership with the DA which had reneged on the founding principles of the charter, which was to refuse any form of a partnership with the ANC.
Political analyst Jamie Mighti said the announcement was late but correct.
Mighti said it was late because the effect of the multiparty has already been detrimental to their prospect in this election.
“They ended up looking like cheap imitation of the DA and as a result people chose the DA over them. That is the reason why it is late,” said Mighti.
The Star
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