The Democratic Alliance will not agree to an arrangement that sees it support the continuation of the ANC in power.
This is the word from DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi in response to a recent opinion piece by Editor-in-Chief Adriaan Basson.
Basson had written that a possible deal was in the offing between the country’s two largest parties. Despite their mutual distrust, they would agree to allow the ANC to control the executive, while the DA would take over control of the legislature. It was unclear how this could be maintained over time, given that the ANC might still retain more seats in Parliament, while the DA would likely decline to back much of the ANC’s agenda.
The deal would also effectively scupper the multi-party agreement that the DA has championed as a means of unseating the ANC.
Malatsi was adamant that no such prospects existed.
He said: ‘The DA’s mission for South Africa has always been aimed at replacing the ANC’s corrupt, job-destroying government with one that upholds the rule of law and pursues market-orientated policies that both create jobs and produce the economic surplus necessary to alleviate poverty. The DA’s vision centres on accountability, good governance, and economic growth, something that the ANC has proven incapable of providing to South Africa. The DA has no interest in co-governing with the ANC or keeping the ANC in power. We are only interested in ushering in a new government for South Africa. There have been no secret negotiations, cloak-and-dagger or otherwise, between the DA and the ANC.’
He further criticised Basson for displaying poor journalistic judgement.