After two meetings with the DA focusing on the budget, the ANC is gearing up for a third bilateral sitting, which spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri promises will be frank about the blue party’s empty threats to leave the government of national unity (GNU).
During an interview with Sunday World Engage, Bhengu-Motsiri’s take on the DA and its conduct within the GNU is scathing. She recalled that the DA had previously threatened to exit the coalition if certain pieces of legislation were passed, including expropriation laws and the Bela Bill.
According to Bhengu-Motsiri, the DA referred to these legislative issues as “red lines” that could trigger their withdrawal from the coalition. However, she suggested that the DA’s threats may not be as serious as initially presented.
“I mean, they threatened to leave if we pass the expropriation legislation, including the Bela, by the way. They call those red lines. I think the red lines are maybe yellow or blue now. But they threatened, and so we are waiting for them to act on what they promised, which is to leave the government of national unity. But clearly there’s no intention to leave.”
Looking ahead, Bhengu-Motsiri stated that the ANC is waiting to see whether the DA will act on its threats to leave the GNU if their demands are not met. However, she expressed scepticism about the likelihood of an actual withdrawal, noting that there appears to be little
real intention on the DA’s part to exit the coalition at this stage.
Despite the apparent tensions, Bhengu-Motsiri confirmed that the DA remains a part of the GNU for now. However, concerns are mounting over the stability of the GNU, following public criticisms about how coalition partners are handling internal disputes.
Bhengu-Motsiri said the preferred approach for resolving conflicts within the GNU should be robust engagement and negotiation. She revealed that previous meetings with the DA had focused primarily on budget discussions. However, she indicated that the upcoming talks would be broader in scope, including the future of the GNU and a range of other pressing concerns.
“It’s not a healthy state. And we are going to have a bilateral meeting with the Democratic Alliance, because when we met with them twice, it was about the budget. Now we need to have a conversation about the government of national unity and a whole range of the issues that the ANC will ventilate to and with the Democratic Alliance.”
Ideally, she said, court proceedings should only be considered as a last resort after all other avenues for discussion have been exhausted. This, she suggested, would help maintain trust and cooperation among coalition partners.
“I think it’s a very precarious state of things in the government of national unity. And, of course, South Africans already know how the DA has turned the courts into a battlefront.
“So, obviously that cannot be healthy for the government of national unity, because ideally the course of action should be to sit down, robustly engage and all of that and only approach the courts when everything has been exhausted.”
