‘We told you so’ – EFF says following Helen Zille’s comments on ANC and GNU

African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has responded to Democratic Alliance (DA) federal council chairperson Helen Zille’s comments on the government of national unity (GNU).

Speaking at a post-election dialogue hosted by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation on Wednesday, Zille claimed there was no GNU, only a coalition.

The GNU was introduced by President Cyril Ramaphosa following the elections after his party failed to secure a majority vote in the 29 May elections. The ANC won just over 40% of the national vote, while the main opposition, the DA, received 21.8%.

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All political parties were invited to join the GNU; however, only about 10 signed the letter of intent.

Although politicians, including those in the DA, have referred to the grouping as a GNU, Zille argues otherwise.

Not GNU but coalition

“From the beginning, Cyril Ramaphosa came up with this notion of a government of national unity, which he thought would be a better way to sell the concept of a coalition to his own party,” said Zille.

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“However, this is not a government of national unity because a GNU would bring all parties together, including the EFF and the MK party, which it did not. But it still gave the president the fig leaf he needed to attract smaller parties that said they wouldn’t be in a coalition with the DA. The truth is, we are actually in a coalition because a coalition means that if a party withdraws, the government falls.”

Zille also mentioned that the party leveraged the Rand during GNU negotiations.

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“One of the strongest tools we had in the negotiations was the value of the Rand. Whenever things were going well, the Rand rose; whenever things went badly, the Rand fell.”

Watch Zille’s comments below

She noted that whenever the ANC was uncooperative, she would inform the media, and observed how the reports affected the Rand. She said, however, that she did not aim to manipulate the Rand but to encourage ANC co-operation.

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Zille’s comments have sparked debate on social media, with many questioning the stability of the GNU given her critical remarks.

ANC still ‘biggest’ GNU member

Mbalula hit back at Zille’s comments, saying that the ANC remains the largest party.

“We are the leading party, the largest party and the biggest expression of the will of the people. We are not going to engage in polemics with Helen Zille or anyone else who wishes to do so,” Mbalula said in a media briefing at the Birchwood Hotel on Thursday.

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“If they want to engage in that terrain, they can do so on their own, but we will not involve ourselves in polemics about who leads and who doesn’t. The question is: Can the ANC do better with the 40% and the leadership it has in terms of safeguarding power and leading South Africa? The country is stable; that is the reality. Everything is on track, and the government is running. This is what is important to us.”

‘We told you so’

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have reiterated their stance that there was no GNU, but rather a coalition between the DA and ANC.

“It is common knowledge that the foundational document constituting the GNU was signed by Helen Zille and Fikile Mbalula to solidify the relationship and grand coalition between the two political parties,” said the EFF.

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“This explains why the ANC refused to entertain any amendments to the foundational document, which the EFF suggested should include the Freedom Charter, Progressive Internationalism, and a commitment to addressing our colonial and apartheid past.

“We, as the EFF and Progressive Caucus, oppose the DA/ANC coalition because we believe its long-term agenda is to reverse the limited progress made in securing freedoms and rights for black people.”