The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has ruled out entering into a coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA), saying it will focus on engaging political parties that share its values, ideology and vision for South Africa.
Speaking at a media briefing at the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) KwaZulu-Natal Results Operations Centre on Saturday, advocate Dali Mpofu said the DA had already made it clear that it was not prepared to work with the MK Party.
Mpofu said the party would therefore prioritise discussions with formations such as the African National Congress (ANC), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
He also identified the South African Communist Party (SACP), ActionSA and the African Transformation Movement (ATM) among the parties the MK Party could engage.
Mpofu revealed that party president Jacob Zuma had instructed the leadership to begin coalition discussions as soon as possible following the 4 November local government elections.
“The DA has come out right that they are not prepared to work with us. So we are going to be engaging parties that are like-minded, that share the same values, the same ideology as us and with the same interests in terms of what we seek to achieve,” Mpofu said.
He added that the party’s natural preference would be to work with political formations whose principles and vision for South Africa aligned with its own, including its position on the return of land.
The MK Party has also established a national negotiating team to coordinate coalition discussions. Any proposed coalition arrangement will require approval from Zuma, who retains the final authority over the party’s decisions.
The negotiations come amid expectations of hung councils in several municipalities following the local government elections, making cooperation between political parties necessary to establish governing administrations.
