Sisulu calls on black parties to unite to prevent ANC-DA coalition

African National Congress (ANC) veteran Lindiwe Sisulu has called on black political parties to unite under a “black pact flag” to take the country forward. The National Executive Committee (NEC) member says a coalition between the ANC and Democratic Alliance (DA) would be spitting on the graves of fallen struggle heroes.

Sisulu was speaking to The Citizen about the possibility of the ANC going into a coalition with the DA.

The once dominant ANC lost 17% of its 2019 vote share in this year’s national and provincial elections. It will now need to make a deal with other parties to form a coalition government for the first time in 30 years.

Political parties with a common history

Sisulu said political parties like the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), among others, should unite.

“We come from the same stock. We don’t have the same policies, necessarily, but those are our people. We fought all our lives to make sure that black people can take their place alongside any other race in this country because this is our country.

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“So we’re going to look at the merits and of course I’m not a deciding factor, I’m just indicating my own views of it. These are people with a common history with us, a common struggle with us. These are people who are not only our offspring, but they share the ghettos with us. I don’t know how many years afterwards, we’re still in the ghetto. Why don’t we try another strategy and say black people, we only have our shackles to lose,” said Sisulu.

ANC-DA coalition a betrayal to voters

Sisulu said a coalition between the ANC and DA will be a betrayal of those who strictly voted for the ANC.

“[The DA] got rid of all the black leaders – what does it tell you? It is a ghetto subliminal racism. I have talked to each one of the leaders of the DA who has been removed. What pushes them out? I don’t think the latent racism within the DA is about to die. Why would we go to bed with people who actually have a particular perception of black people?

“They have not changed. We have changed, we went into a coalition with those people who persecuted us because we had to go through a mental change of what’s in the best interest of our people. We accepted and respected all the parties. The DA has not changed its  DNA. You tell me how many black people (leaders) there are within the DA,” Sisulu said.

Sisulu said “a marriage between the ANC and DA may not help with the healing process of this beautiful nation”.

“Allowing the DA to co-govern could bring about a mini-apartheid as we can see how the lives of black people are in the Western Cape where the DA governs. Personally, I didn’t go to jail and exile for the DA. As a family we lost approximately 56 years in prison combined as political prisoners under the white man’s rule for only asking for justice and equality,” Sisulu said.

Call to unite under one ‘black pact’ flag

Sisulu said ANC supporters should be asking themselves why would the ANC even consider a union with the DA and not “our natural allies and brothers and sisters in a form of black pact of progressive forces?”

“After all the struggle for our liberation was mainly to disentangle black people from colonialism and apartheid chains. So why are we donating ourselves, including our inherent rich and painful history to our oppressors?

“I am personally begging you to unite under one black pact flag to continue with the efforts of black liberation and economic emancipation… I beg you to unite on the following points as black progressive parties,” Sisulu said.

Sisulu said she would even help facilitate the meeting of progressive black parties and negotiate to see if they can agree on issues, including an anti-corruption charter to promote clean governance, Africanisation of the law, restoration of state-owned entities (SOE) and a clear position in support for the people of Palestine.

The Citizen did contact the DA for comment. This will be added into article once received.

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