With the 2024 general elections approaching, seven opposition party leaders will, in August, hold a National Convention to negotiate a pre-election pact.

The National Convention will be held on August 16 and 17 and will see the Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, National Freedom Party, United Independent Movement and the Spectrum National Party come together, following a series of exploratory meetings over the past two months.

The party leaders said in a joint statement that while there was still much work to be done, parties were working in unison to provide hope and a new way forward for South Africa.

“As the leaders of seven different political organisations, this is a responsibility we take seriously. We know that many citizens are anxious about the future. We know that they want certainty that the new national government that replaces African National Congress (ANC) domination next year will be stable, viable and effective. Above all, they want opposition parties to provide a viable path to achieving the 50%+1 majority we need to form a government without the ANC, the Economic Freedom Fighters and their proxies that can deliver a prosperous future for all South Africans,” said the leaders.

Party leaders have agreed on an agenda that will guide negotiations at the Convention to ensure that they emerge with the strongest possible agreement.

Important items on the agenda include the values and principles that will guide a pact government and the formulation of a joint minimum programme of action.

The agenda also includes rules of engagement during the upcoming election campaign, and a formula to form a Cabinet after the 2024 election.

The leaders explained that these items were critical to forming a stable pact government that could deliver.

“We wish to emphasise that every party leader that has engaged in this process so far has done so voluntarily, and it is for each party to ultimately decide whether it wants to formally join the Pact once negotiations have been concluded at the upcoming National Convention,” leaders added.

The leaders assured that there were no predetermined outcomes, and negotiations at the Convention would be robust, honest and constructive.

The African Christian Democratic Party and Build One South Africa have attended various meetings as observers and are yet to decide if they will attend the National Convention.