ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has once again defended his party’s decision on going into the Government of National Unity (GNU) with the DA.
Mbalula said the party’s reason to go into a GNU with the DA was a tactical one.
“These are uncharted waters and we’ve explained that this is just like when the arms struggle was suspended. We supported the suspension of it and even then, the suspension of it was tactical and strategical.
“We kept on saying this GNU can be switched on and off any time. We had many options at our disposal, including to become a back-bencher party. We chose to work with the DA purely on the interest of South Africa,” he said.
Mbalula said this while addressing media conference in Johannesburg at the party’s headquarters yesterday.
He also cautioned members of the alliance to refrain from hurling insults at each other as there were other avenues where issues could be resolved.
“It doesn’t help the alliance to hurl insults at each other in public. What the people out there expect is unity of purpose to advance their interests. We should not please our detractors.”
The party held the briefing to give feedback on the meeting it had with National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu).
The meeting sought to address the challenges that have polarised relations between the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal and Nehawu.
These challenges arose as a result of remarks attributed to the provincial secretary, Bheki Mtolo, directed at Nehawu.
Mtolo had labelled members of Nehawu as “incompetent” and who were responsible for the collapse of many government institutions.
While addressing the media, Mbalula revealed that both the ANC and Nehawu appreciated that Mtolo’s remarks were unfortunate and the platform chosen to air such views fuelled the tensions, rather than a constructive political engagement between members of the alliance.
“We therefore resolved that comrade Mtolo will issue an unconditional apology to Nehawu and retract the unfortunate remarks he made. Similarly, Nehawu will withdraw the court challenge against the ANC and the provincial secretary in this regard.
“Going forward, we have agreed to conduct a joint programme in KwaZulu-Natal with Cosatu and Nehawu to engage with the workers on the ground and clear the air on matters that have polarised relations as a result,” Mbalula said.
However, he said the alliance partners had always differed on a variety of issues, adding that they managed to engage on issues by ensuring the space for political engagements remained open.
Mbalula said there was no reason that both the ANC and the alliance cannot address the current challenges in a similar manner.
“The meeting was cordial, robust and honest in the articulation of the impact of comrade Mtolo’s remarks on members of Nehawu.
“In our robust engagements on matters of mutual interest, we agreed that members of the alliance, and by extension their affiliates, are independent organisations that are well within their rights in expressing dissenting views on the policy positions and decisions of the ANC.
“The meeting was graced by the general-secretary of Cosatu, comrade Solly Phetoe, the president of Nehawu, comrade Mike Shingange, supported by a number of Nehawu office bearers and the ANC provincial secretary, comrade Mtolo”.
The Star