During the IOL Elections Panel Discussion in Johannesburg, Kenny Kunene, Deputy President of the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and the party’s Gauteng premier candidate, made a striking statement on Friday. Kunene emphasized that the PA sees both the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) as equal adversaries, dubbing them “devils.”
According to Kunene, the PA’s stance remains consistent: neither party is preferable to collaborate with, as both are perceived as hindrances to effective governance. He highlighted the party’s commitment to service delivery and expressed a pragmatic approach to working with whichever party holds the majority.
Kunene asserted, “The ANC is the devil as we see it, and the DA is the devil as we see it, and there’s no better devil between the two of them.” Despite lacking the numerical advantage to secure a majority independently, the PA is prepared to engage with these political rivals to serve the interests of the people.
On the other hand, Nthabiseng Tshivenga, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Ekurhuleni Speaker, expressed caution regarding potential alliances. Referring to a past collaboration with the DA in Ekurhuleni, Tshivenga highlighted concerns about racial bias in service delivery under a DA-led coalition.
Tshivenga stated, “We had a situation where a DA-led coalition in Ekurhuleni was giving racial-based service delivery and we had to rescue our people.” She emphasized that the EFF would make alliance decisions post-election, based on their experiences and principles.
Furthermore, Tshivenga emphasized the EFF’s capability to effect change independently, citing their successful governance record in the City of Ekurhuleni. She underscored the party’s commitment to serving the people and challenged criticisms by contrasting their performance with that of poorly managed municipalities.
In the run-up to the elections, the remarks from both the PA and the EFF underscore the complexities of coalition politics and the strategic considerations parties must weigh in their pursuit of governance.