Elections

WATCH: Collen Malatji says ANC stands for ‘a non-racial society’ amid coalition talks

Collen Malatji, the president of the youth league, African National Congress (ANC) members who do not embrace non-racialism ought to exit the party.

Malatji was speaking to SABC News at the backdrop of coalition talks between the ANC and other political parties.

ALSO READ:ANC-DA coalition best path – experts

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But the ANCYL leader commented on remarks made by some party members who were totally opposed to the ANC forming a coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA).

“The ANC cannot move away from its non-racial character to accommodate some fallacy that there is some black uniting against white in South Africa we cannot do that,” Malatji said.

‘ANC stands for a non-racial society’

Malatji claimed some of the culprits were ANCYL members, who he said needed to be disciplined.

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“We will educate them most of them are young they are mobilised by people who want to influence a direction that is not there.

“But anyone who does not believe in the non-racial character of the ANC must leave the African National Congress,” he said.

Despite emerging from the 2024 national and provincial elections with a reduced majority, Malatji said the ANC will not deviate from its values and societal mission.

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READ MORE: Which coalition deal for the ANC?

“The ANC stands for a non-racial society. The ANC would rather go out of power if it has to go out of its values and founding principles.”

Malatji said going into a coalition arrangement with the DA would be difficult because of a number of events in which the party had appeared to be racist.

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“It might not be easy if DA comes on board to, for our people to fully accept it because of their conduct in the past. DA has done a lot of scary things that they must apologise for.

“Helen Zille has made a lot of racial comments they have gone as far as burning the South African flag.”

Watch the interview below:

Malatji added that the ANC would have to live with some discomfort if the DA were to be involved in a cogoverning structure with the DA.

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“There is some language they are creating that we need to build some blacks only block… that is not what the ANC stands for.”

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