Rise Mzansi has stated it is not inherently opposed to the proposed expansion of the Government of National Unity (GNU) but insists the coalition requires a fundamental “reset” to address critical failures in its political management.
The party’s leader, Songezo Zibi, made the remarks during a media briefing on Tuesday, where he delivered a status report on Rise Mzansi’s first year in both the national parliament and the Gauteng provincial legislature. The party, which secured 0.42% of the national vote in the May 2024 elections, holds two seats in the National Assembly and one in the Gauteng legislature.
Zibi’s comments place Rise Mzansi in a distinct position compared to other smaller GNU partners, such as the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF+), which have been openly critical of the African National Congress’s (ANC) recent resolution to broaden the coalition.
“The expansion in and of itself, in principle, is not an issue. The lack of political management is a problem,” Zibi stated. He lamented that while party leaders interact within the cabinet, there is a severe lack of structured engagement at the political party level within the GNU framework.
He pointed to the recent difficulties in passing the national budget and the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill as prime examples of the dysfunction caused by this lack of coordination. “The effective restructuring of the GNU is an important precursor to then having other parties weighing in on the national convention,” Zibi argued.
On the topic of the recently held National Dialogue, Zibi broke with critics who have dismissed it as futile. He passionately defended the convention, which saw 1,200 delegates gather in Pretoria this past weekend.
“The convention is not a waste of time. It’s not a waste of time,” he emphasized. “South Africans only get to tweet or to post on Facebook… They are never heard talking about their experiences in full. For them to get the opportunity to be in one room, build alliances, decide how they’re going to work together to drive a common agenda… it’s a good thing as far as I’m concerned.”
The briefing took a sharp turn as Zibi launched a scathing attack on the Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), General Rudzani Maphwanya, for his recent comments made during a visit to Iran. Zibi called for the general’s immediate dismissal, stating his remarks “undermine the interest of South Africans.”
“Parks Tau and Ronald Lamola are busy trying to save South African jobs. The US and Iran are enemies. What does this general do? He goes there, he runs his mouth because he has no strategic awareness whatsoever,” Zibi said, calling the general’s behaviour “ill discipline.”
He further criticized Defence Minister Thandi Modise for what he characterized as a failure to hold the general to account.
Looking ahead, Zibi confirmed that Rise Mzansi has set its sights on the local government elections next year, which it will be contesting for the first time. He revealed the party is already in talks with various other parties about brokering cooperative relationships for the upcoming poll.