Politics Editors Choice

Mbalula blue-ticks Zille’s request for regular meetings

DA federal chair Helen Zille and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. File photo.
DA federal chair Helen Zille and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. File photo.
Image: Freddy Mavunda

DA federal council chair Helen Zille has extended an olive branch to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, expressing her desire to meet with him regularly to ensure the success of the government of national unity (GNU).

This comes after a rocky start to their partnership marked by disagreements over the GNU policy programme.

Despite their differences, Zille said she is willing to make the GNU work. 

“The GNU has to work because there is no alternative if we want SA to work, which we both passionately do,” Zille said.

“I would love to meet Fikile Mbalula on a regular basis. Please can you ask him to respond to his mail and honour his appointments.”

However, Zille emphasised that the DA's participation in the GNU does not mean it will support every decision made by President Cyril Ramaphosa, citing the ANC's failure to secure a majority vote in the May 29 elections.

“That does not mean the ANC and DA have to agree with each other all the time. We will agree on some things but not on others and we need the freedom to speak our minds.

“The DA is not merely there to prop up Ramaphosa because he did not get 50% [of votes]. We are there to ensure South Africa becomes a successful, prosperous democracy, and to do this we have to say when we disagree.”

In August, Zille and Mbalula were at odds when Mbalula suggested the ANC could make certain decisions without the DA's input. Zille countered that cabinet decisions among GNU parties required consensus.

“We will represent at least 30% of the seats in the GNU. Without the DA, the ANC can't reach 60% of the seats in the National Assembly occupied by the GNU parties,” Zille said.

“The ANC can't bring people in that they feel like bringing in. This is another thing Fikile doesn't seem to understand, because it says in keeping with the spirit of an inclusive GNU it is agreed the composition shall be discussed and agreed among the existing parties whenever new parties desired to be part of the GNU.”

Another point of contention arose when Mbalula dismissed Zille's characterisation of the government set-up as a coalition between the DA and ANC, rather than a GNU.

Mbalula said: “Stop being irritated by Zille every time she says she wants to see the ANC dead. It wouldn't have stopped even if there was no GNU, the DA and others are not going to stop.

“The DA, like others who want to see the ANC gone, say they eat the elephant piece by piece, but the elephant is still standing, and the ANC will go down if it entertains the irritation and doesn't do what is right.” 

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