President Cyril Ramaphosa has drawn a line in the sand, telling the ANC caucus the DA had defined itself outside the government of national unity (GNU).
Speaking to the ANC caucus on Tuesday night, Ramaphosa told the party’s parliamentarians the DA had locked itself into an unenviable position by rejecting the budget.
“You must not interrupt your adversary as they are making a mistake, and they can see they put themselves into a cul-de-sac. It is the most unpleasant position they have put themselves into.”
Ramaphosa said he had spoken to DA leader John Steenhuisen on Tuesday afternoon, who asked him: “Where do we go now?”
“I said, the ball is entirely in your court. He asked if the ANC says we should leave the GNU. I said the ball is on your court. You have put yourself in this position, so you need to work your way out. You took a decision in the committee. That was the choice you made.”
Listen to Ramaphosa and deputy president Mashatile:
What seems to please you [DA] is that you want to be in government, and you also want to be in opposition in government, and I said you can't have your cake and eat it.
— President Cyril Ramaphosa
Ramaphosa said Steenhuisen tried to argue that the decision the DA adopted was no different from the position it had put up in cabinet and outside, but the president said he told Steenhuisen the ANC had chosen to consult all parties, including those outside the GNU to show leadership.
“We are the ones, whether you like it or not, who are leading the GNU, and we therefore have a responsibility to demonstrate that leadership, even under difficult circumstances or situations, and we will continue to do so,” Ramaphosa told the ANC.
He said the DA was the only party in the GNU which publicly stated it would oppose the budget.
“You added insult upon insult towards the ANC and called the ANC all manner of names. I said what seems to please you [DA] is that you want to be in government, and you also want to be in opposition in government, and I said you can't have your cake and eat it.”
Ramaphosa said the DA had given a clear indication to the ANC about where it stood when it voted against the budget during the standing committee on finance session in parliament on Tuesday, adding the ANC should take a tactical approach during parliament on Wednesday.
“Of course, in the end, this may well be a point where, as the deputy president [Paul Mashatile] says, it's the end of their participation because they are defining themselves out of the GNU, and it will be clear tomorrow what decisions they take.”
Ramaphosa said the DA threatened the ANC that colluding with other parties would mean the end of the GNU.
“I said, maybe you will live up to that yourself because that is exactly what you have wished for. ActionSA and other parties took a much more co-operative and practical type of disposition,” he said, criticising the DA for making demands in order to vote in support of the budget.
“In the end, they have put themselves in a difficult position and tomorrow is their choice, and that choice is going to have consequences.”
Mashatile said if the DA did not support the budget, it would mean it must be out of the GNU. He said this did not mean the end of the unity government.
He said, “There is no one who, as a minister, can continue to enjoy to implement programmes of a government budget they opposed and voted against. It can't be done and I think the chief whip [Mdumiseni Ntuli] must make it clear to them so by the time we get to the house, and they continue not to vote for the budget, they must have received this message.”
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