'You choose: ANC, EFF and MK, or multi-party charter': Steenhuisen

DA leader John Steenhuisen warned of a “doomsday coalition” of the ANC, EFF and MK Party, calling it a “clear and present danger” that it is taking shape as the country edges towards elections.

The opposition leader said his party was the first with the foresight to alert the country of this “radical” alliance, just as his party was the first to identify the risks of cadre deployment and of Jacob Zuma — which he says the DA has been fighting ever since.

“Just last week, Julius Malema himself confirmed this. He made it clear that he is willing to give his votes to the ANC, with conditions including that his second-in-command, Floyd Shivambu, becomes finance minister,” said Steenhuisen.

Addressing party supporters in Tshwane at the first leg of the party's “Rescue SA” campaign tour, he said the recent creation of Zuma’s MK Party only confirmed how right he was to take the unprecedented step to unite the rational opposition to safeguard the country’s future.

Steenhuisen says the country is faced with two stark choices — a future governed by radicals or a country with the multi-party charter at the helm.

“The one outcome from this election that will seal South Africa’s doom is if we end up with a national coalition government between the RET radicals in the ANC, the EFF and Jacob Zuma’s new MK Party.

“This is a future where South Africa will rapidly descend into the same chaos we see in other countries that have implemented EFF policies, like Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

“Those who have the means will flee the country. Those who don’t, will be trapped in a living hell under a government led by Mashatile, Malema and Zuma.”

The opposition leader told party supporters that this binary choice leaves them with one other viable alternative, which is the multi-party charter led by the DA as its “strong, anchor tenant”.

“The other possible future is a new government under the multi-party charter, with the DA as the big, strong anchor party, bringing our experience and track record of good, clean, accountable government to the table.

“In this future, South Africa starts down the long road to recovery, with a new government that embraces the private sector to unleash millions of new jobs, with zero tolerance for crime and corruption.”

However, he believes there is one complicating factor in this “binary” environment.

“Like in any environment with only two real choices, there are people who know they can never win, so instead they seek to play the two sides off against each other.

“This has led to the emergence of small mercenary political parties that seek to exploit the binary situation to get the best deal for themselves from either the doomsday coalition or from the multi-party charter.”

Steenhuisen said these parties had no intention of bettering the country and sought only to split votes and increase their bargaining power when negotiating themselves into a coalition.

“These mercenary parties masquerade as opposition but have long-since chosen to align themselves with the deeds of the doomsday coalition, rather than the hope represented by the MPC.

“The best example of the dishonesty of these mercenary small parties is the Patriotic Alliance, which has repeatedly sold out the opposition — in eight different municipalities.”

Steenhuisen accused the parties of opposing the multi-party charter instead of the ANC and EFF, calling them selfish and “part of the problem”.

“They are only in it for themselves. The dozens of small parties that are not part of the multi-party charter are political mercenaries that seek to undermine the opposition for their own benefit, and for the benefit of the doomsday coalition.

“These parties are the very definition of wolves in sheep’s clothing,” he added.

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