The ANC is losing patience with its chief GNU partners, the DA, and may be looking to the left for the EFF and MKP to come to the party.
This particularly as the former liberation movement considers the stalemate reached with the blue party over the national budget as unnecessary political games by the DA.
Briefing the media at Luthuli House, Joburg city centre, on Tuesday, ANC day-to-day operations boss Fikile “Vutha” Mbalula said the ANC might have to look at reconfiguring the GNU.
Not supporting the new budget
This after weeks of political ping pong with the DA, which has postured to be opposed to the VAT increase. The party said it will not support the proposed 2025/2026 national budget tabled by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana three weeks ago.
Mbalula said the DA has been putting on the table demands that have nothing to do with the national budget. The ANC views this as DA’s political bravado to appear strong to their constituency.
If the DA persists on that path of holding the ANC to ransom wherever there is a matter of national importance needing GNU consensus, the party of Oliver Tambo might have to look elsewhere.
Courting EFF MK party
The ANC has continued to engage with the EFF and MKP, both of which parties are outside the GNU. This is to prepare for an eventuality where disagreements with the DA have reached a point of no return.
“If people come with political agendas that they want to be seen to be doing things in a different manner, it will affect the GNU in the long term. And that is what we all need to understand,” said Mbalula.
“If you engage in this negotiation process on the basis of political point-scoring, it may lead to situations wherein the GNU itself may be reconfigured.
“The ANC is committed to the GNU with all its partners. But the maturity of partners is very important,” Mbalula went on. He was suggesting the ANC has had enough of DA tantrums.
“As the ANC has no situation of wielding an axe to cut anyone out of the GNU, they will cut themselves out. And we will proceed, and that is what is important.”
Mbalula said negotiations were promising. All GNU partners were likely to find each other on the national budget soon, he added.
The ANC was confident that all involved will place the interests of the country and the people first ahead of narrow party political interests.
No agreement reached with the DA
“There has been overzealousness to say that the ANC has reached an agreement with the DA. We do not have an agreement,” he said. He blamed the DA for spreading propaganda to confuse the public.
“We have been engaging on issues they’re putting across. But to suggest that there is an agreement between us and them is not correct.
“The DA has a catalogue of issues, and they shift from time to time, from one position to the other. It is difficult when people leak, and then there is Goolam and so on in the mix of negotiation, which polarises negotiation,” added Mbalula.
“We need to pass the budget for the sake of South Africa, but at the same time we need to be alive and talk to others; that’s what we are clear on as the ANC. We are the largest party, and we need to talk to others, including those outside the GNU.”
Sunday World understands that there is a growing frustration and annoyance within the ANC top brass about DA antics, including from President Cyril Ramaphosa.
