Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, spokesperson for the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), says it is disingenuous to suggest that parties like the MK Party and the EFF represented the “extreme Left”.
She said this was an attempt to demonise these parties, saying that the MK Party had never defined itself as a leftist movement or organisation.
“We know in the realm of traditional media ‘left’ is a swear word hence the abuse of the word in this context.
“There are sectors in the media that want a coalition with the DA which is an anti-black and anti-working class coalition. They are pushing white minority rule through the back-door! They must be stopped,” she added.
Hlubi-Majola also vehemently opposed the prospect of the country being dictated to by big business in its attempt to impose its beliefs on South Africans.
“On a serious note we can't allow investors to impose their agenda on the majority. A DA/ANC coalition will worsen conditions for workers and their families. They want a flexible labour regime, you know that means a relaxation of (the) LRA and other protections.”
Hlubi-Majola took a swipe at the media, saying that some were using scare tactics to lure people to support a DA/ANC coalition government: “The conservative media is trying to scare you into endorsing a coalition that favours the ‘markets’. The markets have been doing just fine whilst the masses get poorer and poorer.
“They want to demonise the possibility of a progressive block so they get richer and the masses continue to suffer under the yoke of the failure of neoliberalism and austerity.”
A senior ANC member known to ‘The Star’ said rather than the organisation being under the supervision of the DA, he would advise the party to use its 159 Members of Parliament to advance its revolutionary policies and laws.
“I reject any massaging of the DA. No obligation for the ANC to get into coalition if there is no like-minded party. We can’t force ministerial positions and sleep with enemy forces,” the member added.
Meanwhile, the DA has announced a team for its coalition negotiations, consisting of Helen Zille, Siviwe Gwarube, Tony Leon and Ivan Meyer.
This as political parties failed to garner the necessary votes and majority in the elections to be able to govern the country.
The DA recently vowed to prevent a partnership between the ANC, the EFF and the MK Party.
“The DA will make it our number one priority and do absolutely everything in our power to prevent an ANC-EFF Doomsday Coalition from taking power. The DA will not bury our heads in the sand. We will face up to this challenge, for that is the task of leadership.
“All throughout the election campaign, the DA undertook to rescue South Africa from the Doomsday Coalition. We will now do our level best to do exactly that. We will do so for the people who voted for us, and for the people of South Africa as a whole.
“As a result, I can today announce that the DA’s Federal Executive has unanimously adopted a resolution to initiate exploratory talks with other political parties that share a commitment to the South African Constitution, to identify options for the formation of governments at national and provincial level where no party has obtained an outright majority,” the party said.
The Star