Acting ANC spokesperson Zuko Godlimpi is confident that its alliance partners, particularly the SACP and Cosatu, will soon change their stance on the Government of National Unity (GNU) that included the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The two partners (SACP and Cosatu) have condemned the ANC's decision to join forces with what they deemed as a party that was not in it for advancing the people's interests.
The SACP described the DA as “anti-people forces" and said "we will not work with these forces, we will not support any idea to try and work with these forces," he said.
Cosatu's president Mike Shingange said the 2024 GNU was different from the one in 1994, stating that the old one was mainly serving the country.
He warned that the ANC's GNU was based on political parties' own interests and not nation-building.
Responding to this, Godlimpi said they would continue to engage with alliance partners until they understand why they joined the GNU, especially with the Democratic Alliance (DA).
"I can promise you this, as time goes on, the alliance will be singing in one tune about the GNU, there's nothing new about what is happening, eventually we will find each other and have a common understanding," he said.
Godlimpi was addressing the media on the second day of the three-day ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) Lekgotla at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni on Monday.
The Lekgotla kicked off on Sunday and will end on Tuesday. This is to reflect on the 2024 national and provincial elections, the dire state of the organisation and an action plan to rule.
He said the strikes by its allies were not something new, but stated that they do that because of the trade union bargains at a policy level.
"It's not an anti-GNU move ... there are issues that they know they can get better when they are pulling numbers on the streets and they have done it to the ANC before," he said.
Godlimpi said militant discourses were not new in the alliance partners and "the ANC cannot expect allies to roll over and say because there's a GNU we will not be vocal."
But he cautioned that the expressions must be guided and raised to the ANC through proper channels so that the intentions of the GNU were not lost.
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