GNU latest: EFF seeks exclusive deal with the ANC
GNU latest: EFF seeks exclusive deal with the ANC
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says it is willing to join the Government of National Unity (GNU) on condition that the Democratic Alliance and Freedom Front Plus do not form part.
Following the historic results of the recently held National and Provincial elections, the ANC resorted to forming a Government of National Unity to govern the country. However, there have been disagreements with other parties, especially the DA, over Cabinet positions.
EFF WILLING TO JOIN THE GNU WITHOUT THE DA AND FF PLUS
In a letter dated 29 June, EFF Secretary General Marshall Dlamini said their objection to work with the DA and FF Plus rests on the fact that the two reject affirmative action and expropriation of land without compensation for equal redistribution to address the apartheid and colonial land regimes.
He said the DA openly wrote to a foreign and imperialist government of the United States of America to interfere and supervise South Africa’s democratic elections, an act that outrightly undermines SA’s sovereignty and insults the collective intelligence of a country.
“The participation of the DA and FF Plus in the GNU only seeks to neutralise the possibility of economic transformation that an EFF and ANC coalition present, such as the creation of a state bank, nationalisation of the South African Reserve Bank, insourcing of workers, free education, healthcare, housing, water, and sanitation.
“The DA and FF Plus openly flirt with the cessation of the Western Cape or Cape Town and the celebration of the white supremacist history/culture on the recognition of Orania,” he explained.
PARTY PROPOSES A NEW STATEMENT OF INTENT
Further, the EFF proposed a new agreement, or Statement of Intent, between EFF and ANC instead of the ANC’s Statement of Intent agreed to by GNU partners.
The party said they essentially enter into an agreement with the ANC as leader of government and not with other parties it may invite to the government.
“Such an agreement or Statement of Intent must necessarily include fundamental principles informed by the strategic objective of the total liberation of the oppressed as encapsulated in the Freedom Charter and Progressive Internationalism.
“The agreement or Statement of Intent must also necessarily include the principles of Redress and Equality as captured in Section 9.2 of the Constitution, which states that ‘to promote the achievement of equality, legislative and other measures designed to protect or advance persons, or categories of persons, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination may be taken. The agreement must translate into provincial and municipal governments with the aim of government stability and accelerated quality service delivery,” Dlamini said.
RED BERETS VOW NOT TO REMOVE ANC FROM POWER
In addition, Dlamini also assured that they would never work with the DA in any sphere of government to remove the ANC from power where it is elected as leader of the executive or legislature.
He emphasised that they are willing to participate in any executive as long as the DA and FF Plus is omitted and affirm the principle that the President and or Premiers have the prerogative to determine the composition of the executive after consultation with the EFF leadership.
“We are opposed to “sealed agreements” wherein Ministries and departments will not be accountable to the executive leader, i.e., President and Premiers. Nonetheless, we express our desire to find representation in all the clusters of national government as ministers or deputies. We are also willing to take leadership in legislatures in the form of speaker or deputy speakers, and chairpersons of portfolio committees,” he added.