CHARLES MOLELE
THE Democratic Alliance (DA) has an extended an invitation to General Bantu Holomisa, leader of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), to join a Moonshot Pact before the 2024 general elections. However, Holomisa has declined the invitation, saying that the UDM is an independent political party that cannot be influenced by political donors.
This weekend, the DA appealed to political donors to encourage other parties to join their pact to prevent the ANC and EFF from coming to power after the 2024 elections, but Holomisa reiterated that UDM was an independent political entity that did not rely on donors for support.
“The UDM won’t be bought. If the DA wants to be treated seriously, the only route to follow is where an independent facilitator is appointed, and all parties are treated as equal contributors to the process,” said Holomisa on Sunday.
“We are not subscribing to the DA. We are not appendages of the DA nor are we branches of the DA.”
Steenhuisen has urged for a “Moonshot Pact” with similar-minded parties and groups to prevent a potential coalition between the ANC and EFF.
He announced at the weekend that the DA will host a National Convention for the “Moonshot Pact” in the upcoming month to create a coalition aimed at ousting the ANC and the EFF in the 2024 elections.
Already, six parties, including the IFP, ActionSA, National Freedom Party and FF Plus, have agreed to attend the meeting but the UDM, ACDP and Xiluva Party have declined to join the moonshot pact.
Holomisa said: “The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has noted the Federal Leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Leader, Mr John Steenhuisen’s, speech at the weekend on the so-called Moonshot Pact and specifically his comment that donors of the parties who have “rejected the plea for cooperation” should “encourage” cooperation.”
“The direct implication being that donors are the ones that dictates the actions of political parties. If that is how the DA is run, I have bad news for Mr Steenhuisen, because the UDM’s course of action is dictated by its vision, mission, cores principles and constitution.”
The UDM leader said that while opposition parties could potentially participate in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections under a united front, they should still maintain their distinct identities.
“Political parties might struggle to find each other, considering that they have different ideologies and political philosophies. This can be done by forming an alliance i.e. a pact between two or more parties made in order to advance common goals and to secure common interests ahead of elections, with a medium to long term vision on its execution. An alliance agreement, governing cooperation between the different stakeholders, should be drafted with a clear mission, vision and objectives and it should also define the role of each stakeholder,” said Holomisa.
Steenhuisen said party leaders are expected to negotiate the contents of the pact at the upcoming National convention around later this year.
“Various party leaders have made constructive suggestions to ensure the success of any negotiations. These leaders share the dream of a strong pact to deliver the country from ANC/EFF doomsday,” Steenhuisen said.
He said ANC Gauteng chairperson, Panyaza Lesufi, has publicly confirmed that his party’s goal is to form “a Doomsday Coalition with the EFF after the 2024 election”.
“We must never forget why the EFF was kicked out of the ANC in the first place: because the EFF’s leaders were too radical, too corrupt and too violent even for the ANC,” said Steenhuisen.
“In their desperation to hang onto power, the ANC has now confirmed that it plans to sell out to a coalition that will dance to the EFF’s tune. This would seal our country’s doom.”
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