DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille. Picture: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers
The demands for 11 ministerial positions including the deputy president post fly in the face of the Constitution and labour law.
That is how ANC alliance partner the SACP has reacted to reports that the DA demands were complicating the formation of a Cabinet, which President Cyril Ramaphosa was expected to announce “soon”.
SACP spokesperson Alex Mashilo said on Tuesday that their political bureau on Monday emphasised the importance of meaningful consultation, building and maintaining national stability and certainty.
“This requires decisiveness against any section that has resorted to trickery, brinkmanship and untenable demands to steal power and thus undermine the will of the people,” Mashilo said.
He said their bi-monthly meeting concluded that “President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to move swiftly to appoint the deputy president, ministers and deputy ministers”.
The meeting denounced alleged attempts by the DA to elevate itself to the role of the party with the largest votes.
Mashilo said the DA had positioned itself against the GNU.
“This is obvious from the DA’s manoeuvres to secure a hostile takeover through a grand coalition with the ANC, also involving the IFP, in which the DA will wield veto power under the guise of ‘sufficient consensus’. This must not be allowed to see the light of day,” he said.
Mashilo said the Cabinet was appointed by the president and the DA’s demands flew in the face of the Constitution and labour law.
“A party that has claimed to support ‘the separation of party and state’ is now vehemently demanding the exact opposite.
“It has pretended to have a problem with ‘cadre deployment’ and anti-constitutionalism, but it is now demanding that the president must accept new practices which would amount to an exclusive DA cadre deployment.”
Mashilo said the SACP would stand in solidarity with Nehawu in the fight to protect the rights of directors-general.
His remarks follow after the ANC warned on Monday that the GNU would not be held to ransom by one party, in apparent reference to the DA.
Al Jama-ah party leader Ganief Hendricks, also a member of the GNU, said the DA was disrespecting the Constitution by trying to take over the constitutional powers of the president.
“If they wanted to do that, why did they not put up someone as president when we had the first sitting of Parliament?
“They claim to adhere to the Constitution yet they break the allegiance to the Constitution.
They swore oaths to the Constitution yet they broke the oath already. They are not a credible partner to work with,” he said.
Hendricks said his party has held the view that the DA should not be part of the GNU, hence they formed part of the progressive caucus that comprised the EFF, ATM, UDM and UAT.
“One of Al-Jama-ah’s reasons for joining is that this new configuration (GNU) would contribute to weakening the DA’s influence and powers.
“This new configuration allows smaller parties to boost the ANC’s bargaining abilities, thus not only weakening the DA and its allies but with the hope to sideline them or throw them offboard,” he said.
Hendricks said his party was lobbying other parties outside the GNU to join in so as to weaken the DA.
Meanwhile, Black Business Council president Elias Monage said they had lots of concerns in particular with the DA, which thought that it obtained more than 20% of the votes.
“Their demand is irrational, greedy and is not based on any justification,” he said.
Cape Times