ANC should not be dictated to during coalition talks: SACP

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South African Communist Party (SACP) Politburo Member, Dr Alex Mashilo, says although they have reservations about certain political parties that may seek to get into coalition with the African National Congress (ANC), they will not disclose their preferences until engagements with all Tripartite Alliance members.

This comes as the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) is set to meet to decide on the constitution of government following a below-par performance in the 2024 General Elections.

The ANC failed to reach a majority for the National Assembly at just 40.2%.

The party also failed to get a majority at provincial level in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Northern Cape.

Mashilo says the ANC leadership should not allow itself to be dictated to by any of the political parties they decide to get into coalition agreements with.

“It should be clear who will lead the coalition agreement. We will indicate to the ANC and other alliance partners that we don’t want a coalition that is against the working class. The ANC is still leading with votes so they must not be dictated to by other parties.”

VIDEO | Coalition talks in progress – Mbhazima Shilowa elaborates: 

“ANC must work with DA”

Meanwhile, former ANC Deputy Secretary-General and veteran leader, Cheryl Carolus, says the ANC and the Democratic Alliance (DA) must work together as they are the two parties that got the most votes.

Carolus says the electorate has spoken and both parties must lead the nation.

“I think that the people have spoken and what the people have said is they’ve given over 60% of the vote to the ANC and the DA. Now the ANC members and DA members might not like it but that is just the fact, and I think that as the two biggest parties, they have a responsibility not rights over us. They have the responsibility to lead us. We need a government of national unity as we did in 1990 when the ANC and the National Party had to find each other and to lead.”

PODCAST | Cheryl Carolus on what type of coalition government South Africans are to have after the elections: