Zuma slams GNU as 'white-led unholy alliance’ as MK party decides to join Progressive Caucus

uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party leader Jacob Zuma has referred to the recently formed Government of National Unity (GNU) as “nonsense”, adding that the party’s legal counsel has been instructed to dispute the manner in which the public broadcaster, the SABC, has been describing the political pact.

The GNU consists of the ANC, DA and IFP, and together they have an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly. Reports have emerged that Gayton McKenzie’s Patriotic Alliance and Patricia de Lille’s Good have joined the GNU.

“We have asked our lawyers to write a letter of demand to the SABC to stop deliberately misleading South Africans by using terms like GNU or GPU [government of provincial unity] to refer to present sellout coalitions. This is nothing but a return of apartheid and colonialism,” Zuma said during a press briefing in Johannesburg on Sunday evening.

“There is no government of national unity in SA. There is a white-led unholy alliance between the DA and the ANC of [President Cyril] Ramaphosa. It is sponsored by big business, and it’s for the benefit of the markets and not the people,” he claimed.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Four reasons why DA decided to join the government of national unity

Zuma’s press conference follows the MK party’s decision not to attend the first National Assembly sitting of the 7th administration on Friday.

MK put out a statement on 10 June saying that as part of its ongoing protest against the election results, its 58 MPs would not attend the first sitting of the National Assembly.

The party has claimed that election results were rigged, but has provided no evidence to support its claims. It tried to interdict the National Assembly sitting, but the Constitutional Court dismissed its application.

The party said it has applied to the Electoral Court to have the elections set aside.

At Friday’s National Assembly sitting, the ANC’s Thoko Didiza was elected Speaker, the DA’s Annelie Lotriet her deputy and Ramaphosa was re-elected the President of the country. Ramaphosa is expected to be inaugurated on Wednesday, 19 June, at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Government of National Unity will see parties consulted on ministerial appointments, according to signed agreement

MK joins opposition

On Sunday, the MK party announced that it would have its members sworn into the National Assembly with the intention of joining the opposition, under the Progressive Caucus banner.

The Progressive Caucus consists of the EFF, United Democratic Movement, Al Jama-ah, United Africans Transformation, African Transformation Movement and the Pan-Africanist Congress.

Speaking at the briefing, MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said, “It is also the first time that a progressive formation such as uMkhonto Wesizwe alongside its Progressive Caucus partners will be the official opposition.

“I am therefore glad to announce that not only will uMkhonto Wesizwe form part of the Progressive Caucus but we will soon also be announcing the formation and a programme of that ‘patriotic front’ of progressive forces who are both inside and outside of Parliament.

“While the Progressive Caucus must carry out the struggle inside Parliament, the patriotic front must also do so outside of Parliament and alongside other progressive organs of civil society who subscribe to the return of the land and the dignity of African people,” he said.

MK fumbles coalition talks

Zuma’s MK could not manage to work with other parties to form a government, even at provincial level.

The party had made it clear that it would not want to work with the ANC with Ramaphosa at the helm. In response to this, the ANC said it would not be removing its party leader to appease other organisations.

Last week, the IFP mentioned it was open to negotiating with the party to form a government in KwaZulu-Natal. However, this was not possible with the MK party failing to pitch for talks.

The MK party has, however, rubbished these claims, adding that it sent a formal request to hold talks with the IFP, but the party was not forthcoming.

Read more in Daily Maverick: The Longest Day: MPs sworn in, Speaker in the chair, Ramaphosa re-elected President – next, the inauguration

Despite winning more than 45% of support in KwaZulu-Natal, MK was unable to lure the IFP or the National Freedom Party to work with it. A day before the first sitting, NFP leader Ivan Barnes revealed that they would be joining the government of provincial unity.

This led to the IFP’s Thami Ntuli being voted in as the premier. The ANC’s Nontembeko Boyce was elected as speaker and the DA's Mmabatho Tembe as her deputy.

The ANC, DA and IFP alliance continued in Gauteng where Panyaza Leseufi was elected as premier.

In the Northern Cape, the ANC’s Zamani Saul was elected as premier with the help of the FF+. DM