Steenhuisen: Moonshot pact to oust ANC starting to take shape
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen says at least six opposition party leaders have so far agreed to attend the national convention for the Moonshot Pact.
He says after reaching out to at least 15 other parties, the DA’s plan to collaborate with others in an attempt to ousting the African National Congress (ANC) and stopping the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) from governing, is coming together.
Steenhuisen announced the Moonshot Pact earlier this month, which invites opposition parties with or without representation in Parliament.
The DA aims to capitalize on what it says is the dwindling support of the ANC.
Steenhuisen provided an update on discussions on Saturday morning, as he builds on the plan he originally announced when he was re-elected as DA leader in March.
“ANC support is crumbling. The DA now routinely polls within 12 percentage points of the ANC, and the DA is working every day to close this gap further so that we can overtake the ANC and become the single biggest political party in South Africa,” says Steenhuisen.
However, the DA leader says in the lead up to the general elections in 2024, the DA is looking to work with like-minded parties to achieve the unseating of the ANC.
“The following six party leaders have thus far agreed to attend the national convention for the Moonshot Pact; Velenkosini Hlabisa (IFP), Herman Mashaba (Action SA), Ahmed Shaik Imam (NFP), Peter Groenewald (FF+), Neil de Beer (UIM) and myself representing the DA.
During the 2021 local government elections, a third of all voters cast their ballots for one of these parties. Our task now is to grow this pact support from a third to just over half of all votes in 2024.”
Mmusi Maimane’s Build One SA and Rise Mzansi are said to still be considering the DA’s proposition, while the African Christian Democratic Party, the United Democratic Movement, and the newly formed Xiluva declined to join the Pact.
Steenhuisen says he will be meeting with the leaders of the parties that have agreed to attend the convention, in the hope of working through concerns and registering suggestions to ensure the success of the political collaboration.
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