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DA leader John Steenhuisen accused the ANC of disrespecting the party, which he says continues to make compromises. (Supplied/GCIS)
The DA wants to urgently "reset" its relationship with its main partner, the ANC, in the government of national unity (GNU) following President Cyril Ramaphosa's signing of the Expropriation Bill into law this week.
DA leader John Steenhuisen, at a press conference in Cape Town, accused the ANC of disrespecting the party, which he says continues to make compromises.
He also penned a letter to Ramaphosa formally declaring a dispute and invoking Clause 19 of the Statement of Intent.
Steenhuisen, however, said this was not an ultimatum, nor was it an intention to leave the GNU.
Meanwhile, in his letter to Ramaphosa, Steenhuisen reminded him that he had written to him on 18 January, "setting out the DA's very strong objection to the government's planned implementation of the National Health Insurance Act and proposed a number of alternative approaches that would advance the provision of universal access to quality healthcare without any adverse implications for the fiscus, the economy, and healthcare itself".
"I asked for a meeting to discuss these before the Cabinet Lekgotla to be held next week to finalise the Medium-Term Development Plan.
"You responded by sending my letter to the Minister of Health and declining my request for a meeting."
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Steenhuisen told Ramaphosa that on 5 December, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson wrote to him "setting out his serious concern that the Expropriation Bill in its current form violates the Constitution, and asked you to refer it back to Parliament for amendment".
"He further provided you with a legal opinion outlining the legal deficiencies in the Bill. The minister finally received a reply from you on 21 January to say that you disagreed with the legal opinion he had submitted."
He said Macpherson then became aware that "you had assented to the Bill through the media".
"I have to be frank and say that I regard the manner in which you have dealt with these matters to run counter to both the letter and spirit in which the GNU was established.
"Mr President, your party does not enjoy majority support in Parliament, which is why the Government of National Unity was formed. As part of the negotiations that led to its formation, the DA made it crystal clear that we expected power to be shared, and clause 19.3 of the Statement of Intent codifies very precisely what needs to happen in the event that there is no consensus between our two parties."
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Steenhuisen said Clause 19.3 states that "sufficient consensus exists when parties to the GNU representing 60% of seats in the National Assembly agree…".
The only parties in the GNU that together represent 60% of seats in the GNU are the ANC and the DA.
"In the event of a lack of sufficient consensus, the Statement of Intent, in clause 20, states: The Parties to the GNU shall also establish dispute resolution or deadlock-breaking mechanisms, in instances where sufficient consensus is not reached."
Steenhuisen said that he was, therefore, formally invoking clause 19.3 of the Statement of Intent and "accordingly require an urgent meeting with you on both these issues prior to the Cabinet Lekgotla next week so that we can seek a mutually agreeable way forward".
He told Ramaphosa: "Mr. President, we cannot take South Africa forward unless we work together with a unity of purpose and engage in good faith negotiations to resolve our differences. The DA remains committed to doing so and I trust the same applies to the ANC."
