Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Seven political parties will meet next month for a historic national convention to discuss how they can work together to unseat the African National Congress (ANC) in next year’s national election.
The more established opposition parties – the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Freedom Front Plus and the National Freedom Party (NFP) – will be meeting with political newcomers ActionSA, the United Independent Party and Spectrum National to chart a way forward.
These parties believe the ANC’s support is dwindling and it presents them with the opportunity to step up to bring about change for disillusioned South Africans.
Seven opposition parties will gather on 16 and 17 August in the same Kempton Park venue where the historic Codesa talks took place. Here they hope to negotiate a pre-election pact.
It follows two months of preparatory meetings to reach a basic consensus. DA leader John Steenhuisen ruffled feathers in April when he announced his Moonshot Pact, with opposition parties saying they weren’t consulted beforehand.
“What we are going to do is focus on the things that unite us rather than the things that divide us.
I’m absolutely convinced that all the parties who attend the pact will find the 10 to 15 things that we all agree on need to be done to fix South Africa.
” ActionSA’s national chairperson, Michael Beaumont, says the convention is not about being anti-ANC.
“It’s about being strong for an alternative vision for South Africa and it’s about putting down jointly agreed solutions to the greatest challenges facing South Africans today.
” The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) and Build One South Africa are yet to decide whether to join next month’s talks.
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