“Apologize first, then we will talk” says EFF to DA

Estimated reading time: 6 minute(s)

Not long after being excluded from the provincial government in Gauteng after the last elections, the Democratic Aliance (DA) threw tantrums and accused ANC Gauteng Chairperson and now Premier Panyaza Lesufi of defying the agreements made by the national parties in the negotiations for the formation of Government of National Unity (GNU).

The DA’s leader in Gauteng Solly Msimanga including the party’s national leadership accused Lesufi of being reckless.

In the recent statement made by KZN Police Commissioner Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, he said, although Lesufi’s decision to establish crime wardens popularly known as Amapanyaza came out of good intention, it was illegal.

As a result, Lesufi decided to rather reverse these appointments and redirect them else where. He received a lot of backlash which saw the DA lashing at him and going as far as proposing a motion of no confidence against him.

Opposition parties such as ActionSA told the DA that they don’t mind supporting the motion on a condition that they approach other majority parties in the Legislature such as EFF.

Msimanga wrote a letter to EFF’S Philip Makwala about their proposal and asked for their backup on the motion. Among other reasons for their motion, they accused Lesufi of withholding a forensic report, delays in releasing lifestyle audit reports and having a bloated budget.

Responding to the letter, EFF said they can only support the motion on a condition that they retract and apologise for the statements they made about them.

“If the DA genuinely wishes to demonstrate good faith, it must publicly retract these inflammatory statements and issue a clear apology. In the absence of such, the EFF cannot participate in any discussions with a party that continues to delegitimise it publicly while seeking cooperation privately.”

They told Msimanga that the party must apologize for calling them dangerous demagogues, making them their number 1 public enemy, and comments John Steenhuisen made about Julius Malema at the White House in the USA during President Ramaphosa’s visit to Donald Trump.

The DA is yet to respond on whether they will abide to the conditions or not.