The leaders of the parties that have formed the Progressive Caucus, including Al Jama-ah, the African Transformation Movement (ATM), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), the United Africans Transformation (UAT) and the United Democratic Movement (UDM), addressed press ahead of the first sitting of the National Assembly on Thursday.
The parties under this umbrella, following their meeting on Thursday evening, accused the ANC of sidelining them from the Government of National Unity (GNU) talks.
They have indicated that the ANC has lied to South Africans after it said it wants to consult widely with other parties in order to enter into “discussions with an open mind and a commitment to all parties that have a stated intention to advance the interests of the South African people”.
“Despite the President’s assurance, the aforementioned parties have been politically excluded from meaningful and comprehensive GNU discussions. The engagements held thus far have been meaningless and fragmented, with bilateral meetings between the ANC and individual members of the Progressive Caucus that have not yielded substantive outcomes,” the parties say.
In their meeting on Thursday night, just a day before the first sitting of Parliament, they discussed the current situation of the lacklustre GNU talks and requested a meeting with the ANC to address their concerns.
Political leaders such as EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu and ATM’s Vuyolwethu Zungula were in attendance.
Speaking on behalf of the caucus, UDM leader, Bantu Holomisa said caucus was requesting that the ANC returns to the negotiating table, adding that the parties wanted to see who would be nominated for the positions of presiding officers in the National Assembly.
The leaders held their press briefing at the Taj Hotel in Cape Town, moments before the start of the first sitting.
“We will hear what the proposals are in the House. If there is a party here that wants to raise their hand, I am sure also that they are also welcome. But we have not caucused... if there is one that wants to be president. What we want to know is who is going to be the Speaker and the question of the DA, the Freedom Front Plus, ANC and us.
“If the ANC was honest from the start about the negotiations and if they had said we are engaging the DA and so on, and this is how we see it, and IFP is also in agreement, share that agreement with us because you said this will be the government of national unity and not a coalition. There is a big difference. We have never demanded any positions,” Holomisa said.
Saturday Star