By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South African Communist Party (SACP) General Secretary, Solly Mapaila, says the African National Congress (ANC) has the option to form a coalition with smaller parties rather than the Democratic Alliance (DA) or the Umkhonto weSizwe party (MPK).
Mapaila spoke at the National Union of Mineworkers’ policy conference in Boksburg on Tuesday.
Since the election results were announced, the ANC has been meeting with various political parties to promote its idea of a government of national unity.
This comes after it failed to achieve an outright majority at the polls for the first time in democratic South Africa.
Mapaila described the ANC’s election performance “as a major setback for the revolution”.
“We cannot be satisfied with the outcome of the election results, but they are an important barometer about our revolution and about us. We want to start by indicating that this was a major setback for our revolution. We have never suffered such a great setback since the democratic revolution of 1994,” he said.
“The ANC must not complicate this matter. It’s a simple matter. The ANC must set up a minority government. With the minority government, we can rule and clearly present the revolutionary agenda.
“The forces of neoliberalism of the DA, as well as the forces of distraction of counter-revolutionary forces symbolised by MK, must be equally rejected.”
The ANC is expected to meet with members of the tripartite alliance at a political council meeting on Wednesday to discuss the proposed government of national unity.
ANC National Executive Member(NEC) Buti Manamela admitted it had been a difficult period for the party following its failure to garner enough votes to form a government.
Manamela said a final decision on partnerships will be announced before the first parliamentary sitting on Friday.
“The leadership of Cosatu and SACP would raise those concerns once the alliance partners meet, all of the issues will be ventilated there.
“In this period, it would have been more convenient for all of us if we could all just agree and move on.
“But this is a different period because the ANC itself is faced with making choices between extremely polar political opponents. I think the decision will be on the basis of who has the interest of the people, particularly the working class,” said Manamela.