EFF, IFP only parties open to alliances with ANC

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ActionSA said while it was willing to work with any political party in a coalition, including the DA from which its leader Herman Mashaba defected before forming his own party, it would never be a coalition partner to the ANC

While the ANC has kept its cards close to its chest on its approach to forming coalition governments the EFF and the IFP remained the only parties that indicated a willingness to entertain alliance talks with it on the eve of the polls.

This comes as some parties are already preparing themselves for hung councils, where no single party would secure the outright majority after the polls, which are set to be among the most fiercely contested.

The DA indicated that its main objective is to oust the ANC from power and also stated outright that it would not work with the EFF as the two parties’ values clashed.

ActionSA said while it was willing to work with any political party in a coalition, including the DA from which its leader Herman Mashaba defected before forming his own party, it would never be a coalition partner to the ANC.

Speaking to Sowetan in Ekurhuleni, EFF secretary Marshall Dlamini said they were willing to join forces with any party, including the ANC, on condition that its election manifesto would be implemented.

“Anyone who wants to speak to us about the coalitions, they must start reading the EFF manifesto. It was not written by us but by our people,” Dlamini said.

The EFF had lent support to the DA after the 2016 local government polls to form what became failed coalition governments in the Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay metros after rejecting ANC pleas for a coalition pact.

Dlamini lashed out at the DA for vowing not to work with the EFF again, accusing it of representing capitalist interests.

“Those that don’t want to work with us know that they don’t represent the people. They represent themselves and the interests of capital,” Dlamini said.

Herman Mashaba campaigns inSoweto ahead of the local government elections.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa also took the party’s election campaign to Katlehong, Thokoza and Vosloorus, also in Ekurhuleni, on Thursday and told those present that the party was not willing to speak about coalitions and who it would want to work with before the results were announced.

“We are not prepared to talk about coalitions,” Ramaphosa said.

Gauteng ANC chairperson David Makhura, who accompanied Ramaphosa, said the party was not prepared to discuss who it would work with as it was only focusing on improving its performance in the key metros.ADVERTISING

“We don’t discuss coalitions. We are only looking forward to a very improved performance from what we went through in 2016. We are not focusing on who wants to work with us but on victory,” he insisted.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said their approach to coalitions was guided by four principles, which include nonracialism, respect for law and the constitution and a capable state without cadre deployment.

Steenhuisen reiterated that they would not work with the EFF.

“They [EFF] do not share our values. They don’t believe in nonracialism. They don’t believe in a social market economy,” Steenhuisen said.

Though not completely ruling out working with the ANC, Steenhuisen indicated that it would be “very difficult to get into a coalition with the ANC”.

“I don’t want to go into bed with the ANC. I want to kick them out of the bed. If you don’t believe in our principles we can’t do business with you. It does not matter who you are,” he said.

ActionSA, which is already preparing for possible coalitions, made its intentions clear about its unwillingness to entertain coalition talks with the ANC.

“Let me be very clear, ActionSA will never go into a coalition with the ANC,” Mashaba said at a rally on Thursday in Newtown, Johannesburg.

“We cannot fix the problem by partnering with the cause of the problem. How can we fight corruption while in coalition with the party responsible for the corruption?” he said.

However, Mashaba said his party is open to discussions with other parties.

“We are committed to transparent coalitions and negotiations in which we make it known how we can hold the people in the coalitions to account.”

IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa said the party believes in politics of coexistence for the good of the people.

“We are not exclusive. Once the reality shows that the municipality is a hung council, we will be willing to enter into any discussion of a coalition but there are things we cannot compromise,” Hlabisa said.

He said their approach will be guided by principles which include nonracialism and the belief that all people of SA are equal.

“Even if we can differ in terms of policies but agree on that, then we will consider a coalition. People vote because they want service delivery of good quality,” Hlabisa said.

–-SowetoLive