ActionSA has excluded the EFF from its multiparty platform to tackle the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic in South Africa, saying that the red berets are a threat to the country’s constitutional democracy.
In a statement on Tuesday the party’s leader Herman Mashaba said he had written to the African Christian Democratic Party, Congress of the People, DA, United Democratic Movement and Freedom Front Plus but “deliberately” did not reach out the EFF.
Read: EFF defends its call to open up SA’s borders
“Up until now, opposition political parties have expressed themselves individually in response to government’s mismanagement of the pandemic that has clearly emerged this year,” Mashaba said. “I have spoken directly to a number of these political leaders, who have affirmed their belief that establishing this platform will be critical. We have discussed that our immediate focus is to respond to our most immediate crisis.”
Mashaba has criticised how government has dealt with the Covid-19 crisis, claiming it had exposed citizens a possible third or even fourth wave of the deadly virus.
In particular, he has been vocal about the Gauteng provincial government’s lack of readiness to deal with the second wave.
Read: Herman Mashaba | Do not postpone local government elections
Two weeks ago he said that Gauteng Premier David Makhura had not presented a clear plan to increase the capacity of healthcare professionals and facilities.
“Establishing a platform with these political parties is long overdue. I have apologised to these leaders about this idea emerging from a relatively new political party, expressing my view that this should be a jointly-owned initiative and not belonging to ActionSA,” said Mashaba.
He blamed governance failure on the ANC-led government which he said should be removed the upcoming elections.
“One belief we have in common is that South Africa will never emerge from the severe repercussions of Covid-19, including the crisis of unemployment as long as the ANC is in power.”
“The year 2024 must see the removal of the ANC in a number of provinces, from national government and a number of municipalities this year.”
“South Africans want us to work together to unseat the ANC. South Africans want opposition parties working together and aspire to more than their share of the declining opposition benches,” Mashaba said.
Mashaba did not elaborate on the exact function of the platform nor what kind of help the platform will provide in the fight against the virus.
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