By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The seven political parties who are in the midst of a two-day national convention to plot their way to unseat the ANC government have agreed on a name and on a shared vision, principles and priorities on the first day of the convention.
The parties decided that the pre-election agreement group would be known as Multi-Party Charter for South Africa.
Party leaders from the Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, Independent South African National Civic Organisation, United Independent Movement, and Spectrum National Party gathered at Kempton Park on Wednesday to discuss ways of working together ahead of the 2024 national elections.
The convention aimed to form a working relationship between the parties, which they hope will allow them to unseat the ANC during the general elections in 2024.
The two-day talks were held at Emperor’s Palace, where negotiations to pave the future of South Africa first took place through the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA).
Professor William Gumede, who chaired the discussions, said deliberations have been robust yet constructive.
“We have agreed that our Shared Vision for South Africa will be: A new government to build a just, inclusive, and prosperous South Africa based on opportunity, freedom, and security for all its citizens.
“We have agreed that the priorities of this new coalition government will be growing the economy and creating jobs, ending load shedding, and achieving energy security, achieving law and order that combats crime, corruption, and drugs, ensuring quality education that delivers opportunities for all, delivering basic services to all through high-quality infrastructure, building a professional public service that delivers to all and ending cadre deployment, ensuring quality healthcare for all within a caring healthcare system and building a social relief framework for South African households living in poverty.”
Gumede said the parties have also agreed that the new coalition government will govern in accordance with ‘shared governing principles’, which are a commitment to:
-The South African Constitution, the rule of law, and equality before the law.
– Decentralising power to the lowest effective level of government, accountable, transparent government with zero-tolerance for corruption.
-Capable government that spends public money efficiently to deliver quality services to all.
-Caring government that puts people first and prioritises the poor, An open market economy.
-Policies guided by evidence that they produce positive results for society.
-Redress our unjust past by promoting nonracialism and unity in our diversity.
The parties also invited others that subscribe to their vision, priorities of government, shared governing principles and the pre-requisite to unseat the ANC and keep the EFF out of the government.
The Patriotic Alliance (PA), largely sidelined from coalition talks for a moonshot pact, may have an avenue to join the seven-party grouping after they agreed to broaden their alliance.
PA leader Gayton McKenzie said that the PA could easily walk away from working with the ANC, but the moonshot pact partners would all have to make a commitment not to work with the ANC.
“The PA will be open to joining the pact as soon as our demands are met. The ANC has ruled for three decades, and people still die of poverty; no bigger indictment exists. The fact that the ANC Youth League and the party’s Veterans League have said that they don’t want to work with PA makes this decision much less complicated. Our divorce shall be an uncontested one,” the PA leader said.
The opposition parties were wrapping up a two-day engagement on Thursday – which resulted in a power-sharing deal ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Seven political parties have formally entered into a pre-election’s coalition agreement.
Gumede, made the announcement on Thursday afternoon.
“We’ve got a deal. Charter 24 is on track to the moon and beyond.”
They’ve also publicly signed an agreement to contest elections as individuals – that will see them working together if they succeed in getting the African National Congress out of power.
The charter emphasised the importance of genuine co-governance, suggesting the creation of a collective manifesto and a monitoring and evaluation framework. It also notes that the leader of the largest party is not automatically nominated for the position of President. Meaning that if the DA wins the biggest share of the vote, John Steenhuisen would not automatically be the next president.
The agreement will remain in effect until a multi-party coalition agreement is reached post the 2024 elections. Any amendments to the charter require consensus.
This unprecedented move by multiple political parties signals a significant shift in South Africa’s political landscape.
The charter not only presents a united front against the ANC but also offers a detailed roadmap of a future without the ANC in power.
By focusing on shared values and priorities, the parties aim to provide a compelling alternative to the current government.
However, the success of this charter will depend on the parties’ ability to maintain unity and effectively communicate their shared vision to the South African populace.
The upcoming 2024 elections will be a crucial test for this multi-party alliance and its promise of a new direction for South Africa.
Watch live in the video below:
Video Courtesy of DA.