John Steenhuisen was re-elected as the DA leader on Sunday (Photo: Democratic Alliance/Twitter)
John Steenhuisen it Sunday in his speech as re-elected DA leader said that it is the DA’s mission to take over the reins from the ANC and prevent the EFF from working its way up in parliament.
He declared that Julius Malema and the EFF are the DA’s “number one enemy” ahead of next year’s election.
“The day when an ANC-EFF coalition takes over the government will be the end (“Doomsday”) for South Africa,” Steenhuisen said at the DA’s federal congress in Midrand, Gauteng.
“The ANC-EFF coalition will make the collapse of Zimbabwe seem trivial.
“Therefore, in the remaining months before next year’s election, the DA will make it our number one priority – and do absolutely everything in our power – to prevent an ANC-EFF coalition from taking over power.
“The ANC-EFF coalition will expropriate property without compensation and abolish private property rights. It will nationalize and destroy foreign investments, businesses, banks and mines. It will also plunge this country into ethnic and racial conflict the likes of which have never been seen before.”
He says the chance that such a coalition can respond is becoming more and more realistic, with an ANC-EFF coalition already in power in parts of Gauteng.
“Next year it will be knocking on the doors of the Union Building, but fortunately there is one – and only one – insurance policy against the ANC-EFF doomsday coalition. And that is to vote for the DA, because the DA is the only party big enough, and strong enough to stop Julius Malema.
“I commit the DA to fight back against the EFF at every turn, with the ultimate aim of defeating the ANC-EFF coalition. It’s not about politics anymore. It is about the survival of democracy, and the survival of South Africa. South Africa simply does not have another five years to see opposition parties arguing among themselves over whose bucket of water is colder, while the house is on fire.”
Steenhuisen says it will not be enough to save South Africa if the ANC’s support drops to just below 50%, because this will still leave the ANC with too many ways to stay in power, including through a coalition with the EFF.
“It will also not be enough to form an impotent, unstable minority coalition. Our experience in places like Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni shows us that minority coalitions that cannot reach 51% are inherently unstable. The DA has no interest in destabilizing South Africa through an unworkable minority coalition.”
Steenhuisen wants to work with other parties to achieve 51% support, so that the DA can defeat the ANC and its proxies, and keep the EFF out of government.
During Steenhuisen’s speech, he undertook that the DA as the ruling party will bring an end to load shedding, reduce unemployment to below 20%, halve violent crime, remove cadre deployment to build a capable state and improve education and health care; as well as transfer more powers over electricity generation, public transport and policing to competent provincial and local governments.
Watch Steenhuisen’s full speech here:
