MK Party swats away invitation to join GNU

SOME opposition parties preferred to remain on the opposition bench and chose to swat away the ANC's invitation into the Government of National Unity (GNU).

- BONGANI HANS

One such party was The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP).

The Jacob Zuma-led MKP was unwilling to be part of the Cabinet that involved the DA and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

However, the MKP said it was willing to hold discussions with the EFF and the ANC, without Ramaphosa's involvement, for the formation of the pro-black government.

The MKP's national spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, said this in reaction to the ANC's suggestion of adding more parties to the GNU.

The ANC, whose spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri is yet to respond to a request for comment, announced in a statement released on August 6, that the party's National Executive Committee’s ordinary meeting held between August 1 and 4 resolved to engage with its current GNU partners to broaden participation, “strengthen the functioning of the GNU, and give full effect to the Statement of Intent”.

However, the ANC cautioned that it would not allow opportunistic forces, which it did not name, to manipulate the GNU platform for narrow partisan ends.

When asked if the MKP was considering the ANC’s suggestion, Ndhlela said: “We cannot join the racists,” he said.