ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has re-ignited the public spat between him and DA Federal Chairperson Helen Zille, dismissing Zille’s influence in the Government of National Unity (GNU) and warning that her departure would not collapse the coalition.
Mbalula’s comments come as the ANC navigates a complex web of coalition politics, internal party dynamics with the SA Communist Party (SACP), and controversy surrounding a luxury yacht at his party’s 113th anniversary in Cape Town over the weekend.
In a televised interview this week, Mbalula confidently asserted that the ANC is the backbone of the GNU, and that Zille’s departure would merely result in her replacement.
He emphasised that the ANC would not leave the GNU, as it is the leading party in the arrangement.
“It’s not correct that the GNU would collapse if the DA walks away, but it would collapse if the ANC walks away because the ANC is the largest in the GNU… It won’t collapse if Zille walks away. It just means that Zille would just be replaced,” Mbalula said.
“We have not entertained Zille and it’s not a squabble to us, it’s what we stand for and we will fight to win within the arrangement of the GNU. The GNU is no melting pot. It’s a getting together of parties that are ideologically apart from each other,” he added.
Mbalula, who previously invited the DA to leave if they wanted to, this time said that Zille’s party had the luxury to call things a deal breaker and leave, but the ANC did not have that luxury.
Mbalula was unapologetic, saying the ANC would continue to use its majority to push its agenda within the GNU.
Responding to questions, Zille said she was not aware of the television interview and was not going to be drawn into a public spat with Mbalula.
“I do not think it is helpful to have public slanging matches. We have each other’s phone numbers if we need to say anything,” Zille wrote in a text.
In December, IOL reported that Zille had alluded that should her party leave the GNU, the country would be unstable because there will be an ANC, EFF, and MK Party coalition which will destroy South Africa’s economy within a week.
Zille had said: “The amount of disinvestment, international revision of the approach to South Africa, we will be kicked out of AGOA as well, we must understand the stakes here.”
The two leaders of the GNU have been at loggerheads regarding various policy changes since its inception following their poor showing at last year’s elections forcing them to forge ties.
Meanwhile, Mbalula expressed concern about the possibility of the SACP going to the elections alone.
He revealed that the ANC is engaging with the SACP to prevent this scenario, which he believes would be detrimental to both parties.
The SACP has taken a stance to go at the upcoming Local Government Elections on its own, breaking the alliance the communist party has with the ANC.
“We are engaging with them. We are far more worried about the party (SACP) going at it alone in the elections… The ANC will work tirelessly to avoid the party going alone in the elections,” Mbalula said.
The ANC secretary-general also addressed the controversy surrounding a luxury yacht that was used for transportation.
Mbalula denied any wrongdoing, saying the yacht was donated by a businessman and that there is no evidence of corruption.