The ANC’s Secretary General, Fikile Mbulala, addressed the media on Friday at the first sitting of the National Assembly on the party’s progress on the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Mbalula said the ANC has continued engagements with political parties to sit in the seventh administration of Parliament.
“The NEC has considered a number of options and resolved to establish a government of national unity. The ANC has met with all parties except for ActionSA and United African Transformation. The ANC continues to make effort to reach out to these parties. We have an agreement that we keep reaching out and engaging with the MK Party to ensure the effective implementation of the mandate of the electorate and to promote stability, growth and transformation,” he said.
Mbalula confirmed the majority of parties have agreed to the GNU.
“This will include cooperation from the executive and the legislature. The GNU parties are expected to adopt a ‘statement of intent’,” he said.
The statement of intent will outline the national principles, basic minimum programme of priorities and modalities of the GNU.
This statement will also be made public to ensure accountability for the trust of the electorate and the political parties that form part of the GNU.
“The parties have made a commitment to an all inclusive national dialogue process parties, civil society, labour, business, and other sectors to discuss critical challenges facing the nation. The national dialogue process will seek to develop the national social compact that enables the country to meet the aspirations of the national development plan,” he said.
Mbalula said parties will be given time to engage on the statement of intent. He further declared that the ANC would sign an agreement with every party who agrees to the GNU.
“We have started signing with the Democratic Alliance (DA). The government of national unity is on track. The ANC has now successfully formed governments in the six provinces that we have won and formed a GNU in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal,” he said.
After his briefing, the ANC’s Thoko Didiza was elected as the new speaker of the National Assembly.