ANC boycotts South African Left Council meeting
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Business Day (South Africa)
The ANC, which won 30.7% of the national vote, will not take part on Wednesday in the Left Council meeting bringing together the SACP, the EFF and the MK party, according to its secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. The party is now centralising coalition talks in municipalities without a majority, according to Business Day.
The ANC, the African National Congress, will not attend the Left Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, which brings together the South African Communist Party (SACP), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the MK party and other left-wing groups. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula confirmed this according to Business Day: “We have never taken part in the left party’s meetings, and we will not take part now.” The discussions are to focus on coalition negotiations after last week’s municipal elections.
The ANC won 30.7% of the national vote, compared with 24.24% for the Democratic Alliance (DA), 9.76% for the MK party and 6.22% for the EFF. The party has lost ground in several major metropolitan areas, where it must now govern in coalition. Only Cape Town will be run with an absolute majority by the DA, with 56.42% of the vote. The party has decided to centralise negotiations: Mbalula leads the coalition team, alongside ministers Parks Tau, Enoch Godongwana and Gwede Mantashe. According to Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane, the ANC is also considering going into opposition or forming minority governments.
The MK party and the EFF have already said they would be ready to work with the ANC, while the party remains in the government of national unity with the DA. To put these negotiations in context, also read DA dominates five metros after South Africa’s local elections and eThekwini: MK party has 14 days to form a coalition.
