ATM Leader Vuyo Zungula said they were demonised as being anti-constitutionalists for wanting to effect constitutional amendments. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/Independent Newspapers
The five parties in the Progressive Caucus have predicted that the Government of National Unity will not last for long.
Speaking at the launch of the Progressive Caucus, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party's parliamentary leader John Hlophe said the GNU was a coalition government to preserve the current power of white monopoly capital in the economy, give advantage to white privilege and undo the gains of the liberation movement.
“This coalition claiming to be a GNU is a design of white monopoly capital whose objective is to mask the race and class contradictions exposed by the 2024 electoral outcomes,” he said.
The Progressive Caucus has a combined 102 seats from the EFF, ATM, United African Alliance, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party and the National Coloured Congress.
Hlophe said their refusal to be part of the GNU was because it was a mere executive for the management of common affairs of white and neo-colonial bourgeoisie.
EFF leader Julius Malema said the GNU would not last long and gave it a year.
“After the ANC conference, it will collapse. Remember the DA said ‘we are prepared to work with ANC of Ramaphosa’,” Malema said.
Since Ramaphosa was in his second term, he would not be re-elected, he said.
“The likelihood is that if they survive the year, after the ANC conference they will not succeed. Gauteng has rejected the DA and constituted the government without the DA,” he said.
Malema said they would make sure that the Gauteng government worked.
“If Gauteng fails, doomsayers are going to say, ‘if you don’t work with the DA, you are to fail’,” Malema said.
“We are to vote for their budget and whatever is required from us in order to defeat the DA and demonstrate to the national (ANC), you could have done the same.”
Hlophe said the GNU lacked political legitimacy and would collapse.
“It will be miraculous if it survives longer than a year. Their policies are diametrically opposed, especially the ANC and DA, when it comes to policies relating to poor people,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Progressive Caucus has lamented labels associated with it for not being part of the GNU.
“There is a narrative that is peddled out there that any party that is not part of GNU does not want progress in the country. It is a party full of anarchists,” ATM leader Vuyo Zungula said.
Zungula said they were demonised as being anti-constitutionalists for wanting to effect constitutional amendments.
“There are also parties in that GNU that want amendments to the Constitution. The IFP wants to amend the Constitution to deal with the death penalty.”
He said amendments to the Constitution were constitutional because they were provided for.
Zungula said their coming together as a group was to ensure effective opposition in Parliament.
“If all parties must be part of the GNU, what happens to the principle of having opposition to guard against the abuse of power by the executive?
“The Progressive Caucus is more than necessary for the principle of having opposition in our democracy.
“We are not anti-constitutionalists but want what is provided in the Constitution, which includes amendments,” Zungula added.
Hlophe said an impression was created that they were thugs for raising the land issue.
“We are law abiding citizens. We are politicians who have every right to criticise the Constitution,” he said.
“People feel the Constitution is not addressing their needs. We have every right to call for the Constitution to be amended. There is nothing unconstitutional about it,” he said.
Cape Times