The ANC has left up to the Democratic Alliance to decide if it wants to leave the Government of National Unity after voting against the budget and taking to court and challenge it.
The parliament passed the Fiscal Framework work last week without the support of the DA and with President Cyril Ramaphosa having warned that by not voting for the budget the party would have effectively “defined itself outside the GNU” and that would have implications.
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula briefed the media in Johannesburg on Tuesday and said it was unfair to expect the ANC to decide if the DA stayed in the GNU when it was the latter that broke rank by voting against the budget.
The briefing follows crucial meetings of the ANC’s top 7 officials and the National Working Committee on Monday which several leaders including the deputy president Paul Mashatile said he would be “ashamed” if he came to work as a DA minister even stating that the officials were to decide a way forward hinting that the blue party’s departure was a forgone conclusion.
Mbalula reiterated the point made by both Mashatile and President Cyril Ramaphosa that the DA had defined itself outside the GNU but said it was up to the party to leave the coalition.
“If they decide to stay, how do they stay so we will get from them and we have explained that the ANC is committed to the Government of National Unity. We have no position to shift to supply and confidence and probably we can have that with other parties that are not part of the GNU. Once we engage we will know understand where others stand beyond the budget empass.
“What we know is that there is a budget emphasis and the DA took a particular stance to oppose it and then you don’t just oppose and end there you oppose and what else, you want to say or want to go,” said Mbalula.
He emphasised that the ANC was not willing to compromise on transformative policies that the DA is opposed to.
“The question is if you stay then what do you want? The ANC is very clear expropriation bill, BELA Act and the NHI are here to stay and when we were negotiating right at the beginning we didn’t say that the bills that had been passed by parliament and signed by the president should be reviewed, we don’t have that agreement,” he said.
The DA meanwhile has given an indication it will not leave the GNU and in fact wants to renegotiate terms with the ANC emphasising it joined the coalition to build the country and remains committed to doing so.
“The electorate sent a clear message: single party rule is over and no one party gets to dictate our policy direction. South Africa needs an era of co-governance, built on the implementation of bold, pro-growth reforms that create jobs and restores fiscal stability. That is why the DA signed the Statement of Intent and entered the GNU – we wanted shared governance that prioritises delivery and economic recovery over political convenience,” said DA leader John Steenhuisen in a statement on Tuesday.
Steenhuisen also hit back at criticism by the ANC that it wanted to be in government while remaining in opposition. Steenhuisen said it was the ANC’s decision to negotiate outside the GNU for support for the budget that must be frowned upon.
“Not once has the DA gone outside of the GNU to lobby support for our position, which is what the ANC did, defining itself outside the GNU,” he said.
Mbalula said the ANC has written to all political parties including the DA to set up negotiations for the remaining steps towards the budget approval.