GNU: Will DA get into bed with ANC?

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is keeping its cards close to its chest. The party has not clarified whether it will be accepting the ANC’s proposal for a Government of National Unity (GNU) or not.

It said negotiations have been carried out but a final say still needs to be made by its Federal Executive team.

DA negotiators receive a mandate

Following a meeting of the party’s Federal Council, which is the highest decision-making structure between conferences, the DA simply said it had given its negotiation team the go-ahead to consider the formation of a national government and provincial governments in hung provinces.

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”The Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Council has unanimously endorsed a resolution affirming the mandate of Federal Leader John Steenhuisen and the party’s negotiating team to continue with the process towards the formation of governments at national and provincial levels with hung legislatures, in order to safeguard the Constitution, ensure stability, and generate economic growth,” the party said in a statement.

Left-leaning parties had criticized any working relationship with the DA in a Government of National Unity (GNU). But the ANC said it had extended an invitation for talks to all parties.

The DA statement further thanked their core negotiating team for carrying out what has been described as the toughest negotiations for power-sharing since 1994.

“The Federal Council also recognized the work done by the negotiating team composed of Helen Zille, Ivan Meyer, Alan Winde, Siviwe Gwarube, Tony Leon and Ryan Coetzee and affirmed that, in terms of the Federal Constitution, the party’s Federal Executive will make the final decision relating to coalitions and the formation of governments at national and provincial levels,” the party said.

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The DA statement also indicated that the party was continuing to speak to other parties.

However, political parties had only two days left to tell South Africans what kind of government there would be in place.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo had announced that the first sitting of parliament will be on Friday.

But some political parties, such as the United Democratic Movement (UDM), said parties might need more time to come up with a government plan.

The party’s Bantu Holomisa said his interaction with the DA indicated that there was no detailed plan of how the GNU under the ANC would work.