African National Congress (ANC) national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri noted on Wednesday that the party’s door remains open as the ANC continues to reach out to every political party that is keen to contribute positively to moving the country forward.

Bhengu-Motsiri was updating the media on the outcomes of the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting and the selection process for Provincial Premier candidates, where she announced that the ANC had repeatedly reached out to the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, for an engagement meeting, with no positive response.

Following the May 29 national and provisional elections, the ANC lost its outright majority for the first time since the country's transition to democracy 30 years ago.

The ANC only managed to secure 159 of the 400 parliamentary seats, the Democratic Alliance (DA) scored 87 seats, MK Party has 58 seats, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has 39 seats and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) holds 17 seats.

Political parties have a two-week deadline to elect a State President.

Bhengu-Motsiri revealed the ANC is still awaiting the MK Party’s response.

“We have approached the MK Party and we are awaiting their response, we had to do it as a matter of principle so that no one is excluded, no one is left behind,” she explained.

She highlighted that the ANC was keen and determined to engage all political parties and unite the broadest range of sectors of the country’s population behind the urgent need to move the country out of the current potential electoral stalemate.

Bhengu-Motsiri noted that the party had had engagements with delegations from the IFP, EFF, DA, the National Freedom Party and the Patriotic Alliance (PA), and that it had also engaged its Alliance partners, the South African Communist Party, Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African National Civics Organisation as part of the consultation process.

“…of course we are engaging everyone on the basis of our values, our principles at our policy position. When the National Executive Committee meets tomorrow [Thursday], it will consider all of those fundamentals that we need to take into account in deciding on who forms part of that government of national unity, I am not in a position to speculate what the final outcome or final decision of the National Executive Committee is going to be,” she explained.

She highlighted that the fact that the EFF and PA had reached out to the ANC and the ANC had reached out to them was indicative of the willingness to talk about forming a national unity government.

“…we can’t build national unity at this point in time because the ANC has not secured an outright majority, even when the ANC has secured an outright majority in the past we have always invited various political parties to government, that includes Patricia de Lille [GOOD leader] I can count quite a lot of those,”

She also noted IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa, the chairperson of the Pubic Accounts Standing Committee.

“…so this is not new to the ANC, but the people of South Africa are asking for us [the ANC] to work closer together in the interest of fostering unity,” she added.

She said the ANC was driven by the imperative to maintain national unity, stability and to put in place a government that would move speedily to tackle the pressing socioeconomic challenges the nation faced.

“…we believe that despite any differences we may have, working together as South Africans, we can seize this moment to usher our country into a new era of hope,” said Bhengu-Motsiri.

She noted that the most important thing was to ensure that the options that had been set out for a government of national unity and minority government were explored by the national executive committee on Thursday, and that the best options would be looked at.

The ANC NWC discussed the three options as set out by the secretary general on Sunday, which Bhengu-Motsiri said had been further elaborated, including the inherent risks of each option.

“At this point in time the conversation is looking at the government of national unity, because this is what the people of South Africa said to us, put together a multi-party arrangement that works for the benefit of South Africa,” she explained.

She added that as to which parties would finally form part of that national unity this was a function of the ongoing negotiations.

ZIZI KODWA

Meanwhile, Bhengu-Motsiri said the party noted the matter involving Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, Zizi Kodwa, stressing that the party’s step aside policy will kick in.

Kodwa appeared at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court in Ekurhuleni on Wednesday facing corruption charges involving R1.7-million.

Kodwa has since announced his resignation as Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture.