The aggrieved minor parties, which are set to be part of the 7th National Assembly, have decided to form the Progressive Caucus (PC) instead of joining the proposed Government of National Unity (GNU). The parties involved, PAC, EFF, AL Jamah and ATM halted the negotiations and expressed their grievances during a media briefing held at the Taj Hotel in Cape Town this morning.

NEGOTIATIONS

ATM's Vuyolwethu Zungula was the first to take to the podium and accused the ANC of being selective about the parties that they wanted to work with in the GNU. "We are here to update the nation that there is nothing called GNU because it is all about the ANC pleasing their preferred partner who is the DA. We requested a meeting with ANC SG Fikile Mbalula and he promised to meet with us yesterday, which never happened. We asked for the GNU document and we are still waiting for it. Instead, out of all the parties that are here, they went and sent the document to Al Jamah, " he said.

THE DOCUMENT

Al Jamah President Mohamad Ganief Ebrahim Hendricks confirmed receiving the GNU document. "These people first had something they called a moonshot pact, now they have changed it to the GNU. I received it yesterday and managed to go through it; while reading it I picked up one thing that was similar to the Moonshot Pact document which made me realise that this was the same thing. We managed to discuss it with other parties and we realised that we must form a PC so that the ANC will negotiate with us as a collective not individually," he said. EFF SG Floyd Shivambu and UDM leader Bantu Holomisa echoed the words of Hendricks and Zungula. "I've been waiting for Fikile (Mbalula) since yesterday. We feel that we must be allowed to look into that document that has been circulating, we are not against the GNU but they must not be selective in their approach. The ball is in the ANC's court. We will address the rest once they have formally responded to our letter," said Holomisa.