Late GNU twist? MK party ‘seemingly’ ditches demand to fire Ramaphosa

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has “seemingly” thrown out its demand for the ANC to remove Cyril Ramaphosa as president before negotiating with the party.

This as negotiations over cabinet positions threatened to derail the Government of National Unity (GNU) this week. A back-and-forth between the ANC and partner the DA over the trade and industry portfolio saw a standoff this week. But the issue was reportedly settled during a meeting on Friday.

City Press reported that while an end to the negotiations is in sight, the EFF and MK party have made a late run to form a coalition with the ANC.

Zuma’s call

A source told the paper that MK party leader Jacob Zuma had called several ANC leaders to share the party’s willingness to talk.

“He called two or three leaders to make his intentions clear about forming a government together.

“The MK party seems to have abandoned its call for the ANC to fire Ramaphosa before it would engage with us”.

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MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela told the paper that ANC did not need the DA if it jumped into bed with them.

“If we can reach an agreement with the ANC, there won’t be a need for the DA to be present because we can co-govern the province of KwaZulu-Natal and the nation together.

“Our combined numbers are enough to form a government”.

What the numbers say

Together the ANC and MK party would have 54% of the total votes from May’s national elections, and 217 seats in the National Assembly. That is enough to govern nationally.

Including the EFF would give it 64.28%, and 256 seats. That is just shy of the two-thirds needed to change the constitution.

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According to Parliament, to amend the Constitution at least two-thirds of the Members of the National Assembly must agree. That would need 267 votes out of 400.

In the NCOP at least six provinces must vote in favour.

In such a coalition, all three parties would need to agree to Constitutional amendments before they could be passed.

How the EFF want to change the constitution

The EFF has previously said it will amend the Constitution to allow expropriation of land without
compensation and nationalisation of all land, water and minerals.

Its manifesto also calls for the Constitution to be changed to make the National Prosecution Authority and Pan South African Language Board Chapter 9 institutions, and the expropriation of property rights to their original owners.

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“The EFF government will change the constitutional structure, including the abolition of the provincial sphere of government, accompanied by a mass restructuring, and strengthening of local government spheres into a unitary state,” it added.

It also called for a Constitutional Referendum.

“The EFF government will work with Traditional Leaders, Religious Leaders, and Civil Society to lodge a Constitutional Referendum to rectify the constitutional dispensation, which is anti-poor and marginalised. The EFF believes and affirms constitutional supremacy,” it added.”

How the MK party want to change the constitution

MK party leader John Hlophe said the MK party would seek to scrap the “colonial” and “liberal” Constitution in favour of parliamentary sovereignty, traditional laws, and rights.

This also includes nationalising all land and resources, and expropriation without compensation.