A number of opposition parties, including the country’s biggest, the DA, have announced that they will be holding a National Convention next month.
The gathering, to be held at Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park in Ekurhuleni, is apparently the result of a number of meetings which have been held ahead of the formation of a pre-election Pact and to prevent an ANC-EFF coalition government.
The group said that Emperor’s Palace had been chosen deliberately, as it was the site where the CODESA negotiations had been held in the early 1990s.
The parties which will be meeting next month are the DA, FF+. IFP, ActionSA, the NFP, the United Independent Movement, and the Spectrum National Party.
The ACDP and Build One South Africa, founded by former DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, will attend as observers.
In a statement, the group said: ‘Party leaders have agreed on an agenda that will guide negotiations at the Convention to ensure that we emerge with the strongest possible agreement. Important items on the agenda include the values and principles that will guide a Pact government, formulation of a joint minimum programme of action, rules of engagement during the upcoming election campaign, and a formula to form a Cabinet after the 2024 election. These items are critical to forming a stable Pact government that can deliver.’
It went on to say: ‘While there is still much work to be done, the people of South Africa can take great heart from the knowledge that, for the first time ever, opposition leaders are working in unison to provide hope and a new way forward for the country we all love.’