The biggest players in the Government of National Unity have vowed to stick together despite being frustrated with each other over serious ideological differences.
The ANC are the largest and second largest in the GNU, compromising of 10 parties and on Tuesday they separately undertook to stay the course even as they continue to differ on key issues of transformation.
The DA briefed the media at its offices in Johannesburg and said the GNU was the most ‘precious’ thing in South Africa at the moment.
“The GNU is the most precious thing for South Africa at the moment, to the DA as well so we will do anything to protect it and I think it’s high time the ANC starts doing the same,” said party leader John Steenhuisen.
He called out the ANC accusing the party of allowing its proxies for attacks on GNU.
The two parties have been at each other’s throats over transformation with the DA having so far rejected three crucial pieces of legislation aimed at ensuring inclusion.
The DA has argued for example, that instead of having everyone on a single health system through the NHI, more health facilities could be built for the many South Africans who don’t have access to has to healthcare, that decent schools be built to accommodate learners elsewhere as opposed to intergrating them into what are currently Afrikaans only schools and exclusively white.
“ we are all for inclusion but we think that instead of insisting on the NHI we should rather build more health facilities in under-served communities. You risk collapsing the entire system,” said Steenhuisen.
The ANC held its own media conference on the same day and it did not know of the DA’s opposition to transformation it would not included it in the coalition.
“We have been very honest about our stance. We stand for transformation and we don’t have a clause y6 the statement of intent that says policies of the six administration will be dropped, there’s no such a thing. We know the constituency of the DA and we are not worried. If it is a dealbreaker it was supposed to be a dealbreaker then when we were negotiating. If this was raised in the negotiations that laws made in the sixth administration will be halted we would not have agreed,” said secretary general Fikile Mbalula confident that the DA will not walk out.
Asked whether the GNU would see its term through Steenhuisen said it will emphasising that it is the best vehicle to grow the economy and create jobs.