Door remains open for EFF to join GNU, assures Cyril Ramaphosa

The door remains open for political parties, including the EFF, to join the government of national unity (GNU) if they subscribe to its principles, said President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

Ramaphosa was speaking to journalists at the Union Buildings on Friday afternoon. 

“Any party that may want to be part of this, they have to come forward. They have to say, ‘We also want to part of the GNU,’ and we will listen to them and see the extent to which they are able to subscribe to what we have decided should bind us together, which is the principles set out in the statement of intent and everything else that goes with that,” he said.

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) is supportive of the EFF joining the GNU.

Earlier in September ANCYL president Collen Malatji invited the EFF to join the unity government after the perceived “stumbling block”, Floyd Shivambu, left the party.

“We’ve invited everyone [to join the GNU], the door was open to everyone. The EFF was also invited. Maybe now that Shivambu is gone from the EFF, we should invite them again because we know the stumbling block was Shivambu due to his hatred of the ANC. Now that he has joined the MK party, we need to re-engage the EFF to say the doors are not closed,” Malatji said. 

SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila has publicly criticised its alliance partner, the ANC, for including the DA and FF+ in its GNU composition instead of the EFF. 

The exclusion of the EFF has been the cause of intense debate in the ANC.

Ramaphosa said when the negotiations ensued, the ANC was open to discussions with other parties and led the process by inviting parties without exception. 

“Those that in the end did not find it clear to participate, it was really by not fully subscribing and accepting all the key elements of the statement of intent and not wanting to work with others,” he said. 

The ANC had welcomed late comers to the GNU, including parties in legislatures, he said. 

“Those that did come in a bit late as we constructed the GNU, particularly the executive, we had run out of time and space so they are part of us in the legislatures. We work well together so that is to be welcomed.”

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