Johnathan Paoli
Following the two-day National Convention on Coalitions conference a group called the Multi-Party Charter of South Africa emerged and swore not to enter into any working arrangement or co-governing agreements with either the ANC or the EFF.
The political grouping declared that none of its members would vote for any office bearers of the ANC and EFF at any inaugural meetings of the National Assembly, National Council of Provinces and Provincial Legislatures.
The National Convention on Coalitions was held on Wednesday and Thursday in Kempton Park and included the DA, IFP, ActionSA, FF+, United Independent Movement (UIM), Independent South African National Civic Organisation and the Spectrum National Party.
The Multi-Party Charter brought together the seven political parties, who while committing to collectively pooling together their election support, will, however, contest the 2024 National General Elections as individual political parties and as autonomous decision-making entities.
The representation of each party would be approximately proportional to election results, but ultimately dependent upon a merit-based consideration as to the best candidate for a position, instead of cadre deployment or other forms of politically based appointments.
In addition, all members elected to the executive would be subjected to lifestyle audits.
The Charter agreed that the largest party in the coalition in the National Assembly that arises from this agreement, and that does not hold the position of President of the Republic, would hold the position of Leader of Government Business.
The position of Government Business Leader is traditionally associated with the position of Deputy President.
DA Leader, John Steenhuisen, commended the finalisation of the Charter on Thursday, comparing the event to the historic Codesa negotiations which occurred at the same venue 32 years ago.
“I am deeply grateful to the leaders of political parties who have joined hands to undertake this momentous task,” Steenhuisen said.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba denied allegations of winners and losers in the Multi-Party Charter, saying that the Charter remains open to welcoming more parties.
This follows recent remarks by the Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton Mackenzie about its willingness to relinquish its working relationship with the ANC at a local government level to prove its commitment to the Charter if it was allowed to join.
The PA remains untrustworthy in the eyes of some Charter members, especially the DA, considering its previous resignation from a coalition agreement with the DA and others in the governing of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni in the aftermath of the municipal elections.
“The PA will be open to joining the pact as soon as our demands are met. The fact that the ANC Youth League and the party’s Veterans League have said that they don’t want to work with PA makes this decision much less complicated. Our divorce shall be an uncontested one,” the PA leader said.
The potential ‘divorce’ would cause a scramble for power in the City of Johannesburg and possibly, in Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape, where the PA was crucial to the ANC’s return to power.
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