Johnathan Paoli
Leaders from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM), among others under the banner of the Progressive Caucus, have declared their resoluteness in opting for constitutional change in order to give effect to land reform, transformation and the needs of the people of South Africa.
The Progressive Caucus met at the Good Hope Chambers in Parliament on Thursday, in what it declared as “paving the way for the attainment of economic freedom” to outline the Caucus’s charter and its vision for the country.
MK deputy president John Hlophe outlined the tenets of the charter and said the national and provincial elections resulted in the formation of a reactionary coalition government that seeks to preserve the current power of white monopoly capital in the economy, give advantage to white privilege, and undo the gains of the liberation movement.
“We, representatives of the oppressed, declare that we shall unite in strengthening opposition in the Parliament of South Africa to achieve equality, total decolonisation and economic freedom for all,” he said.
Hlophe said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s GNU lacks political legitimacy, and would be miraculous if it could survive longer than a year.
“The relationship between the ANC and DA is unsustainable. The marriage is not going to last,” he said.
Attendees included Deputy President and Parliamentary leader of MK party John Hlophe; EFF Commander-in-Chief and Parliamentary leader Julius Malema; and ATM President; Parliamentary leader Vuyo Zungula and the leader of the National Coloured Congress (NCC) Fadiel Adams.
EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu moderated the briefing.
Malema criticised the decision by both the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) and the United Democratic Movement (UDM) to exit the Progressive Caucus and join the Government of National Unity (GNU).
“The UDM and PAC sold out and we are extremely offended by that because even when they were abandoning us they never came back to us to say count us out, that is an act of cowardice,” Malema said and criticised the formation of the GNU as a product of an arrangement between beneficiaries of apartheid.
In addition, Malema countered speculations by the Parliamentary speaker, Thoko Didiza, who reportedly shut down any inquiries into revisiting the Phala Phala scandal.
The Phala-Phala is not a dead issue, and the speaker cannot communicate through the media because that is not the approach the party used to communicate with her, Malema said.
The Caucus meeting comes ahead of the Opening of Parliament address which is expected to kick off on Wednesday evening.
INSIDE POLITICS
