The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal says its decision to enter into a government of national unity (GNU) has resuscitated an ANC that lost the elections, allowing it to continue to lead the government and champion its transformation programmes.
At its first media briefing since a shocking electoral defeat saw the party’s support in the province decline from 54% to 16%, provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo said those criticising the ANC’s choice of GNU partners as a “sell-out position” were creating “false narratives”.
It was now the duty of the ANC to not only rebuild its branches but educate its structures in dispelling these “false narratives” against the GNU with an emphasis on its statement of intent, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address and a contrast with ANC conference resolutions.
“The GNU, when we say it’s parties that we share common values with, you must not mistake that we share a common ideology — no party shares ANC ideology unless it’s an alliance partner,” Mtolo said.
“We agree on principles that the country must be governed by the system of constitutionalism, that there must be economic growth, job creation, stability, peace in South Africa — those are common values. Of course we will differ here and there.”
Zimasa Matiwane
www.sowetanlive.co.za
