Johannesburg - DA leader John Steenhuisen said he is ready to host the country’s seven like-minded political parties who are prepared to help the DA map a way forward in dislodging the ANC from the helm.
Steenhuisen addressed a media briefing on Monday just days before the Moonshot Pact convention set for Kempton Park on August 16 and 17.
Steenhuisen said it gives him great pleasure that the seven political parties, including IFP, ActionSA, Freedom Front Plus, UIM, SNP, and the Independent South African National Civic Organisation (Isanco), are at the same venue where the Codesa talks took place in the early ’90s following the unbanning of liberation movements such as the ANC.
“This coming Wednesday and Thursday, the multiparty pact will hold a historic national convention in Kempton Park. We will meet at the same venue where the Codesa negotiations successfully mapped out a way forward for our country at a time of great crisis. The convention will be independently chaired by respected professor William Gumede and his capable team. They have worked on projects just like this in countries on the continent and around the world. The national convention will be chaired by respected experts. This represents a major milestone for the multiparty pact,” he said.
Steenhuisen said that ahead of the convention, leaders from opposition political parties have been meeting every week in preparation for the convention.
“The parties have been meeting weekly to painstakingly cultivate the common ground required for a convention,” he said.
Steenhuisen also took the opportunity to welcome Isanco, a splinter from the ANC-aligned SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco), as the seventh political party to take part in the upcoming national convention.
In April this year, Steenhuisen proposed a Moonshot Pact to stop the ANC and EFF from ascending to power, adding that this convention formed with like-minded parties was an important milestone in the history of this country.
Isanco joined the parties following a joint media statement issued on Sunday.
Steenhuisen said the coming together of these political parties showed how they are committed to negotiating a pre-election solution to elect a new collective government after the 2024 elections.
“Like Isanco, your voice, your vote, and your future are welcome. The political parties involved in negotiating a pre-election agreement to inaugurate a new government following next year’s elections are pleased to announce that Isanco is the latest political party to join this process.”
Isanco was formed after it broke away from Sanco in 2021 due to the failure to address corruption within the ruling alliance.
The party subsequently contested the 2021 local government elections, winning 14 council seats in areas previously dominated by the ANC.
On Sunday, Steenhuisen said the addition of Isanco to the fold will strengthen the Moonshot Pact talks this week.
“This move shows that South Africans from all walks of life, including those who had previously supported the ANC, are now looking for a credible alternative government that can move our country forward again.
“It also demonstrates our group’s ongoing efforts to bring on board like-minded parties who share our core values and desire to provide a real alternative to decades of ANC misrule,” Steenhuisen said.
The Star