The ANC has entered into talks with a number of parties to form a government of national unity after it failed to win an outright majority in the National Assembly and three provinces.
However, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has snubbed the exploratory talks; the ANC says it did not receive a positive response on reaching out to them.
This emerged after the national working committee (NWC) met on Tuesday, where the leadership from Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng were in attendance to make presentations on the initial conversations taking place in their respective provinces and were then given a further mandate to proceed with negotiations.
Briefing the media on the NWC outcomes, spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the ANC has taken the position that it must act in the interests of the country and its people to build national consensus on the form of government that was best suited to move South Africa forward.
“The ANC is keen and determined to engage all parties and unite the broadest range of sectors of our population behind the urgent need to move our country out of the current potential electoral stalemate.
“The ANC is driven by the imperative to maintain national unity, stability and to put in place a government that will move with speed to tackle all the pressing socio-economic challenges our nation faces,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
She also said they were speaking to everyone in the interest of consultation and national dialogue in the country.
The NWC received a report on the meetings with various political parties such as the IFP, EFF, DA, NFP and the PA.
“The national officials reported to the NWC that the ANC has repeatedly reached out to the MKP for an engagement meeting, with no positive response,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
She insisted that they had reached out to everyone and not just like-minded parties.
“We engage on the basis of our values, principles and policy position. When the NEC (national executive committee) meets tomorrow, it will consider ... who forms part of the government of national unity. I am not in a position to speculate what the final decision of the NEC is going to be,” she said.
Asked about the snubbing by the MK Party, Bhengu-Motsiri said they were waiting for their response after they approached the party as a matter of principle so that none was excluded.
“When you approach people, they need to consult and they need to come back to you. I can’t come to a conclusion that we have been ignored. It would be unfair to do so,” the spokesperson said when responding to questions.
However, Bhengu-Motsiri described the meetings with other parties as exploratory and stated that she was not aware of conditions put before the ANC.
“There has not been a sense of arrogance of the parties ... If there are particular conditions that don’t align with the values and principles of the ANC, we would deal with those as they come. I am sure that the NEC will look very closely at those with a hawk’s eye.”
According to Bhengu-Motsiri, the NWC discussed three options for a coalition arrangement, including the inherent risks of each option.
She said the option such as the government of national unity or a minority government would be explored by the NEC at its meeting on Thursday.
“At this point in time the conversation is looking at a government of national unity because this is what the people of South Africa said to us; put together a multiparty arrangement that works for the benefit of South Africa.”
She indicated that parties to be part of the new government would be determined by the outcome of the ongoing negotiations.
“The ANC is committed to ensure that we unite the people of South Africa to move our country forward and form a government that reflects the message from the electorate: we must work together,” she said.
Cape Times