The seven political parties that make up the Multi-Party Charter have finalised their pre-election coalition deal.
The parties have its eyes set on unseating the African National Congress (ANC), keeping out the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and ushering in a multi- party government following the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.
As the two-day convention concluded at the Emperors Palace on Thursday, leaders of the Multi-Party Charter signed the agreement as “a patriotic duty to place South Africa on a new path”.
The group committed to not entertain any working arrangement or co-governing agreements with the ANC or EFF, adding that it would also not vote for any office bearers of the ANC and EFF at any inaugural meetings of the National Assembly, National Council of Provinces and Provincial Legislatures.
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said that much like the historic negotiations which took place 32 years ago at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (Codesa) - and went on to change the course of history - the Multi-Party Charter for South Africa was going to do the same.
“When I first announced the DA’s commitment to this project back in April, there were many naysayers who said that this group of parties would never even reach the point of sitting around the same table. And yet, here we are signing a historic and unprecedented agreement to rescue South Africa,” he said.
He urged South Africans to register to vote and cast their ballot next year.
“I am deeply grateful to the leaders of political parties who have joined hands to undertake this momentous task. However, we can only achieve a majority for this government if we partner with the people of South Africa,” Steenhuisen said.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba dispelled the notion that there were winners and losers in the Multi-Party Charter. He said they were also open to welcoming more parties to the Charter.
Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) leader Dr Pieter Groenewald said that the signing of the agreement was not the end, but the beginning.
“It’s the beginning of change. This is a game-changer. Seven different opposition parties reached a consensus of sound principles and sound priorities but will still keep their own identities and independency,” he said.
Signatory political parties to this agreement - including the Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, ActionSA, FF Plus, Spectrum National Party, United Independent Movement, and Independent South African National Organisation (Isanco) - would continue to contest the 2024 national general elections as individual political parties that would present their unique offerings to the South African people.
So, while the signatory political parties form part of this Multi-Party Charter For South Africa, each party is an autonomous decision-making entity.
“We will work to win a collective majority in these elections because the challenges facing South Africans cannot be resolved from the opposition benches. This agreement will lay a foundation of rock on which we will build broad society support for a new government for South Africa,” the Multi-Party Charter said.
Based on their agreed principles of power sharing, after the election results are released, the Multi-Party Charter would come together to form a coalition government.
The representation of each party would be approximately proportional to election results, and merit-based consideration as to which party has the best candidate for a position would be considered.
There is no requirement that the leader of the largest party would automatically be nominated for the position of President.
However, the largest party in a coalition in the National Assembly that arises from this agreement, and that does not hold the position of President of the Republic, would hold the position of Leader of Government Business.
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za
IOL