DA wants to form a coalition majority ‘to save South Africa from the ANC’
DA leader Mmusi Maimane says the ANC is dead, and that South Africa must prepare itself for a new political landscape – one where opposition parties must come together to ensure a successful coalition government.
The DA leader said in a speech on Tuesday that the scandals that have hit the ANC over the past few years have put the final nail in the party’s coffin.
The ANC, Maimane said, has become an obstacle for all progress in South Africa – and the problems do not end at president Jacob Zuma.
“It would be a mistake to think that Jacob Zuma is a rogue element in the ANC,” he said. “It would be a mistake to think that the ANC can self-correct.”
Maimane said that, for South Africa to save itself, it needed to starting thinking of a post-ANC country, and how it would look and work.
The only way to achieve this would be working together – including all political parties, even those within the ANC.
“We need to put all our energies into saving our country. And I am prepared to work with all parties that share this goal,” Maimane said.
This includes the ‘good people’ remaining in the ANC who have been moved by recent events to speak out about what is happening to their party, he said.
“Today, I extend a hand of friendship to all of them. I want them to know that we are open to working with them in the future, in a new and realigned political landscape.”
“It will require political leaders coming together from all parties to build a new majority and govern South Africa. Coalitions, and political realignments have played a vital role in preserving democracy on our continent. And this is where our future lies too.
“Indeed, our own process of political realignment has already started.”
The DA leader highlighted that the DA-led coalition governments in the new metros won from the ANC in the 2016 elections were already making good progress.
These successes, he said, would be leveraged and serve as a solid base for any future coalition government on a national level.
“I am currently engaged in talks with other opposition parties to deepen our cooperation, and I will keep these channels of communication open until we go to the polls in 2019,” he said.
“If our chances of winning the 2019 election can be maximised with a pre-election coalition agreement, then this is something that we need to consider.
“Nothing is off the table. We are in the 2019 election to win it.”
However, Maimane stressed that ongoing talks would not mean a shift in policy, or a move to ‘fix what isn’t broken’. He said that the DA will be guided by the Constitution and rule of law.
“The death of the ANC has given us the opportunity to rebuild our beloved country the way we want it to be,” he said.
DA’s coalitions
While the DA seems bullish on its ability to run coalition governments, its efforts in the major metros it currently runs have not been without drama.
The EFF, the DA’s biggest coalition ‘partner’, has expressed that its votes in support of DA leadership have been on the face of anti-ANC sentiment more than political alignment.
The party, which has emerged as the ‘kingmaker’ in contested metros after the 2016 elections, have contrasting policies to the DA, which was apparent in its recent willingness to side with the ANC in any vote to change the constitution to make taking land with no compensation legal.
The party has also been highly critical of DA mayor in Joburg, Herman Mashaba, and has on more than one occasion threatened to vote him out, unless more “pro-poor” policies were passed.
For its part, the EFF has been supportive of moves against the ANC and president Jacob Zuma, but has no entered into any formal coalition or partnership agreements.
The party has taken a position to throw its support on either side of an issue, on a case by case basis.
Read: What South Africans score Zuma, Malema and Maimane out of 10
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