The National Freedom Party (NFP) has distanced itself from the ‘Moonshot Pact’ convention to be held next month in Gauteng.
The party’s secretary-general, Canaan Mdletshe, said the participation of their representative in Parliament at a meeting does not mean the party is now part of the pact.
The seven political parties who form part of the ‘Moonshot Pact’ will meet next month (16 and 17 August) to finalise their agreement that they say will be used to unseat the ANC from power.
The political parties taking part in the convention are the Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, National Freedom Party (now out), United Independent Movement, and Spectrum National Party.
In a joint statement on Monday, the political parties said they have chosen Emperor’s Palace because of its historic significance, as it is where Codesa talks were held that heralded a democratic South Africa.
According to Mdletshe, there is no way his party can be in bed with the DA and the Freedom Front Plus.
He added that the inclusion of his party logo in the joint press statement issued on Monday is something that they view on a very serious note. They intend to take the necessary actions.
"We do acknowledge that the DA invited our deployee in Parliament (MP Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam ) to a meeting. But that does not in any way means the NFP is supporting this far-fetched idea from the DA.
Attending such a meeting would just be to honour the invitation and nothing more, he added.
Mdletshe admitted his party is looking at the prospects of a coalition government and that their National Executive Committee met in Durban on Monday. He said that they resolved to engage various political parties over the possible formation of a coalition government.
"However, the party is yet to start the negotiations over our role after next year's general elections.
"But one thing for sure, we have no intentions of forming a coalition with a party such as the DA and the Freedom Front+," he said.
He said the DA must wake up and face reality that there is no way they can work with it as their political idealogies differs sharply.
“The NFP has neither the intentions nor a willingness to work with them. We have nothing in common with the DA and it's even worse for the Freedom Front.
"In actual fact, our constituencies have no interest whatsoever in anything that has to do with the DA,“ he said.
Citing one example, he claimed that the DA does not care about black people, as it has shown in Cape Town, where it governs.
"The sad reality is that the DA doesn't care about poor black communities, which we represent. What matters to the DA is those old, filthy, rich pensioners staying in suburbs along the beaches.
"If the DA would want us to be part of its selfish plot, they must first start by improving the lives of black people in Khayelitsha and Site C where poverty is rife,” Mdletshe said.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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