ANCYL calls on Ramaphosa to punish DA and get EFF to join GNU

ANCYL president Collen Malatji is demanding the removal of all DA ministers from the country’s cabinet.

Malatji described the DA as a racist party that does not care about the best interests of the government of national unity (GNU). The ANC and the DA are the biggest partners in this governing arrangement.

ANCYL demands

In a press conference on Thursday, Malatji lashed out at the DA for criticising the ANC’s Constitutional Court challenge against the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

“We are calling upon the president to immediately remove all ministers of the DA, and we are calling upon the president to reopen discussions with other political parties.

“The EFF must start warming up and behave. If they can warm up and behave, they can join the government of national unity,” he said.

Inclusion of the EFF in GNU

Malatji said the only problem with the EFF is the behaviour of some of its leaders.

“That is why we are ending up in a government of national unity with the DA, because [the EFF] is led by leaders whom we do not know whether they are red or green. But I think they are maturing now, they are becoming an older organisation. I am sure that they will behave better than how they behaved in 2016,” he said.

According to Malatji, the ANC’s constituencies in many areas are not pleased with the ANC’s relationship with the DA.

“The call is very clear, there is consensus on it, that the DA must be removed and the president must appoint new ministers who believe in our democratic constitution. The DA is clear, it does not believe in the constitutional democracy of this country,” he said.

“They have even gone as far as instructing the president on how to reshuffle; that is how much they are disrespectful and how much they undermine black leadership in South Africa.”

ANC internal battles

Malatji said he notes the utterances of the secretary-general of the ANC, Fikile Mbalula concerning internal squabbles related to the rejection of 181 councillor candidates by the IEC.

Mbalula claimed that he was facing internal backlash for the debacle surrounding the 181 councillor candidates.

“Lets all focus on elections and fight for the victory of the African National Congress because because if the ANC loses elections there will be no need to worry about leading it because you will be leading an organisation that is our of power,” said Malatji.

He also said now is not the time to discuss the party’s 2027 elective conference and the succession battle.

“We know our leaders of the ANC when succession time comes, we will know who we support,” he said.

Mbalula lashes out at DA

Meanwhile, Mbalula has also lashed out at the DA for going against the ANC in the party’s battle with the IEC in the Electoral Court and in the Constitutional Court.

“There are matters comrades that this movement will now have to sit down and discuss and one of those matters is our partners in the government of national unity and that is the DA, we must review the DA in the government of national unity,” he said.

Mbalula claims the DA argued for the disenfranchisement of South African voters. But the DA has denied this.