ANCYL’s Malatji calls for DA ministers to be removed from Cabinet

Collen Malatji has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to reconsider the DA’s place in the GNU and suggested the EFF could join the coalition under certain conditions.

ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Collen Malatji has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove Democratic Alliance (DA) ministers from Cabinet, accusing the party of undermining the Government of National Unity (GNU).

Malatji also suggested that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) could be considered for inclusion in the coalition, but said the party would need to change its approach.

He made the remarks during a media briefing at Luthuli House in Johannesburg on Thursday, amid escalating tensions between the ANC and the DA over the November 4 local government elections.

The dispute follows the ANC’s Constitutional Court bid to reinstate 181 candidates who were excluded from the ballot. The court directed the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to include the candidates on the ballot papers.

Malatji wants DA ministers removed

Malatji said the Youth League had initially believed that working with the DA, South Africa’s second-largest political party, would help create stability within the GNU.

However, he argued that the arrangement had not delivered the results the organisation expected.

“We thought in the beginning of the Youth League that working with the second-biggest political party in South Africa would create a bit of stability in the government of national unity,” he said.

“And you know, when we are wrong, you must say that we are wrong.”

Malatji accused the DA of pursuing what he described as a racist agenda and contributing to instability within the coalition.

He called on Ramaphosa to remove all DA ministers and reopen discussions with other political parties about the GNU’s composition.

“Now we are calling upon the GNU, the president (Cyril Ramaphosa), to immediately remove all ministers of the DA. And we are calling upon the president to reopen discussions with other political parties,” he said.

He also questioned the DA’s political identity and accused it of undermining black leadership, arguing that the ANC was facing growing criticism from communities over its decision to govern alongside the party.

Could the EFF join the GNU?

Malatji indicated that the EFF could be considered for a place in the GNU, provided its leadership demonstrated a different approach.

“If they can warm up and behave, they can come and join the government of national unity,” he said.

He described the EFF as being “mainly led by childish people”, while suggesting that the party would need to change its conduct before joining the coalition.

The comments come as the ANC faces renewed debate over its relationship with the DA and the future composition of the GNU.

Malatji renews criticism of Capitec-linked donations

The ANCYL president also renewed his criticism of Capitec Bank over political donations made to the DA by companies linked to the bank’s founder, Michiel Le Roux.

Malatji has previously called for a public boycott of Capitec, accusing the bank of being opposed to black interests and broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE).

Le Roux has denied allegations that Capitec uses its funds to finance the DA. He has maintained that donations were made by his other companies, Fynbos Ekwiteit and Fynbos Kapital, rather than by the bank itself.

The two companies donated R15 million to the DA in 2022. The party’s August 2023 donation disclosure also recorded a contribution from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, a German organisation.

ANC-DA tensions grow over election nominations

Malatji’s comments come amid a wider dispute between the ANC and the DA over the ANC’s excluded local government election candidates.

The Constitutional Court directed the IEC to include 181 ANC candidates on the ballot papers, following the party’s legal challenge.

The dispute has also drawn criticism from DA representatives, who have questioned the ANC’s handling of the candidate nomination process.

DA spokesperson Karabo Khakhau criticised ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula’s call for a review of the DA’s role in the GNU. She accused the ANC of threatening its coalition partners instead of accepting responsibility for failing to submit its candidate nominations on time.

“What Mbalula is saying sounds like a bitter husband who refuses to be held accountable and the minute you as a wife hold him accountable, he threatens divorce,” she said.

Khakhau argued that the ANC should acknowledge its failure to meet the nomination deadline and improve its internal processes rather than threaten to reconsider the DA’s participation in the GNU.

The latest exchanges highlight the growing strain between the two parties as they continue to share power nationally while preparing for the November local government elections.

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com

Source: IOL