DA spokesperson solly Malatsi says there’s a willingness to work together between his party and the ANC. Picture: Sibusiso Ndlovu
DEMOCRATIC Alliance (DA) spokesperson Solly Malatsi says the party i doing everything in its power to ensure that by Friday, June 14, the status of the negotiations on coalitions is resolved.
Malatsi said the announcement of the date of the start of the seventh Parliament by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo had shortened the length of time left for negotiations.
He said the DA had decided to continue engaging political parties about the formation of coalitions.
Malatsi said there was a willingness on both sides - the ANC and the DA to find a solution: “The outcome of the negotiations was that the feedback must be given to both party structures.
“Before the announcement by the chief justice, the expectation was that we had enough time from both sides leading to the weekend to making the decision.”
He said it was important for the negotiations to give an update to the DA’s federal council in order to allow them to deliberate.
Malatsi added that the DA-proposed coalition framework that the party gave to the ANC was a mandate from the federal executive to the DA’s negotiation team.
“The crux of the framework is simply that we want to be part of the effort that will bring stability in the country, and those efforts must be grounded on a commitment to the country’s laws and values.
“We believe that every organisation that is going to be part of these discussions has to have that strong commitment.”
Malatsi revealed that the party hadn’t reached consensus on the allocation of ministerial positions, adding that the negotiations hadn’t reached that point yet.
He said that as the DA, they wanted to understand what the government of national unity (GNU) would look like before committing to it.
Meanwhile, an Independent candidate, Anele Mda, has called for a re-run of the elections within the constitutionally prescribed period of within 90 days of the polls being held.
Mda urged all political parties to put aside their differences and work together to ensure that the re-run of the elections was carried out in a free and fair manner.
“This is not a partisan issue, but rather a matter of democracy and accountability as well as the sacrosanct preservation of the voice of the people which must consistently find expression without hindrance,” she said.
“We call on all citizens to join us in this struggle for democracy and accountability. We must ensure that our voices are heard and that our votes are counted.
“Let us stand together to demand a fair and transparent election process, and let us work towards building a government that truly represents the people of South Africa.”