ANC rules out national stability pact with DA

Detailed summary

The ANC may go into opposition in metros where it received less than 20% and in councils where it received less than ...

The ANC may go into opposition in metros where it received less than 20% and in councils where it received less than 30%

The ANC has ruled out a stability pact with the DA that mirrors the national Government of National Unity (GNU).

“There was strong pushback against the DA,” said a National Executive Committee (NEC) member who requested anonymity as they are not authorised to speak publicly. The party held a post-election extended meeting of its top brass this week and then entered a blizzard of bilateral talks to find partners to govern with.

A second source said, “[The ANC] is really unhappy with the DA.” According to numerous media reports, the ANC has decided that the DA is a coalition partner of last resort. But on Sunday afternoon (15 November), the ANC and DA formally opened talks despite reported resistance within the ANC, while both parties continue to negotiate with alternative partners.

The ANC is seriously considering going into opposition in councils where it won less than 30% of the vote and in metros where it received less than 20%. “This was part of a discussion about where we can rebuild from,” said the first source.

The ANC only entered government in 1994 and was a resistance movement from its founding in 1912 – it has much more experience as an opposition force than a government. The party also considered minority government arrangements where it requires individual pacts to pass budgets and the like. (There is a minority government in Gauteng, where the ANC enters pacts with the EFF and MK to pass budgets, important policies and provincial laws or motions.)

“A [broad, national] coalition with the DA was overwhelmingly rejected,” said the source. “There was political and subjective objection to cooperation with the DA. [It has] consistently worked against transformative policies of the ANC, like BBBEE [Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment], Employment Equity, Bela [the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act – specifically the perceived removal of…

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Opening of the article, excerpted from Daily Maverick. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.