South African Opposition Leader: 鈥楧oomsday鈥� election warning
The Democratic Alliance head John Steenhuisen says prospect of ANC and EFF coalition is terrifying
The leader of South Africa鈥檚 main opposition party has warned of a 鈥淒oomsday鈥� scenario at the next election if the ruling Africa National Congress (ANC) party goes into a coalition with the radical Economic Freedom Fighter鈥檚 party, led by the firebrand Julius Malema.
South Africa is due to have elections next year and having governed South Africa since the end of apartheid almost 30 years ago, on current polling the ANC could struggle to win an outright majority.
鈥淚f the ANC and EFF do tie up鈥magine how terrifying it鈥檚 going to be鈥� said John Steenhuisen, leader of the largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA). 鈥淚 think that is Doomsday鈥�, he said.
In an exclusive interview with Stephen Sackur for the 麻豆社鈥檚 HARDtalk programme in Cape Town, he warned a coalition would mean 鈥減overty is going to get deeper, hunger is going to increase, unemployment is going to jump dramatically鈥�.
鈥淭hat can only make the situation more febrile in South Africa than it has ever been before,鈥� he said.
Mr Steenhuisen denied that he was fearmongering, saying his warnings are 鈥渁bsolutely being truthful to voters鈥� and that he鈥檚 鈥渢elling people the honest truth鈥�.
When asked whether he would consider taking the DA into a coalition with the ANC, he said 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we could work with the ANC, not in their current form鈥�.
