DA leader John Steenhuisen’s comments on his willingness to form a coalition with the ANC after the May 29 elections has ruffled the feathers of some parties in the multiparty charter (MPC), a group of opposition parties that banded together to oust the ANC from power.
The MPC, which includes the IFP, Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party, bars its members from working with the ANC, EFF or any “rival formations” and “will not vote for any office bearers of the ANC and EFF — nominated either directly or indirectly — at any inaugural meetings of the National Assembly, National Council of Provinces and provincial legislatures”, according to the agreement signed by parties.
The MPC agreement, however, does not bind its signatories legally, and there “are no sanctions associated with breaches of the agreement ... we just cannot tolerate parties who want to run with the foxes and hunt with the hounds”, ActionSA chair Michael Beaumont told Business Day.
“It is the court of public opinion that will try to convict parties who want to campaign for change, only then to prop up the very same ANC in government from which they said we needed change,” said Beaumont.
Steenhuisen told the Mail & Guardian in March that forming a coalition with the ANC was not off the table despite the MPC agreement. This triggered Beaumont to raise an internal MPC objection regarding Steenhuisen’s comments, which are in contravention of the MPC agreement signed in 2023.
“ActionSA will not tolerate any ambiguity on the question of possible working arrangements with the ANC, even if they arise because of our partners,” Beaumont said in an internal memorandum sent to the party’s structures on Tuesday.
Committed to MPC
Steenhuisen, however, downplayed his party’s willingness to work with the governing party, telling Business Day the DA’s “commitment to the MPC stands”.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Steenhuisen said that should the MPC not achieve enough votes to oust the ANC, the parties were willing to go back to the drawing board, and that forming a minority government was not off the table.
FF Plus national head of elections Wouter Wessels said that working with the ANC was one of the DA’s options should the parties represented in the MPC not get enough votes.
“The FF Plus is clear that we will not explore any option involving governing with the ANC or the EFF. The FF Plus will not work with the ANC and contribute to a government where they still hold power,” Wessels said.
ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe said that if reports that Steenhuisen was entertaining the possibility of a coalition with the ANC were verified, parties that were part of the MPC would be “very disappointed, particularly because John has been encouraging opposition parties to work together to keep the ANC out of government. Such utterances will be tantamount to the betrayal of the MPC.”
The possibility of a coalition government nationally is plausible as the ANC faces its toughest elections in three decades. Various polls have shown the ANC is likely to lose its national majority, and its electoral support is projected to fall below 40% for the first time.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.