ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has accused the business community of being “erratic" and also wanting to paint the Democratic Alliance (DA) as the saviour of business in the country when it suits them.
Mbalula lashed out at this belief during a media briefing at Luthuli House in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
This comes after business leaders recently wrote to ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa and DA leaders, urging them to resolve their dispute over the budget and party policy matters in a bid to keep the Government of National Unity (GNU) in control.
Mbalula said this was not the case when the DA and its enemies, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and MK Party, collectively voted against the 2025 Budget in Parliament last week.
He said the DA left the GNU to vote against the budget.
“Where is business in that? I see letter written to John [Steenhuisen] and our President and he responded. I think business is being erratic because it believes that their saviour and the most important person is the DA,” he said, calling out this to be wrong.
The DA has raised red flags over MKP and the EFF being in government, stating they were a bunch of criminals who would run the country into the ground.
Mbalula stated that the ANC was not anti-business but rather has issues with business and its conduct.
“Our strategy and tactics are very clear, our relationship with business is unity and struggle of the opposite. What does that mean? It means there are things we agree on to move the country forward, there are things we don't,” he said.
IOL has previously reported that DA federal chairperson Helen Zille admitted that the DA was instructed by business to protect Ramaphosa from the EFF.
Responding to this, Ramaphosa said business will not dictate decisions, whether in government or within the ANC.
“I can say that business does not dictate what happens in government. It does not dictate what happens in the ANC that I lead. We make our own decisions based on our considerations of everything that will advance the interests of our people.
“But of course, like any other citizen, they are entitled to express their views, their wishes, and their fears. So they too are entitled to do so, but in the end, the ANC will not be influenced by what business says,” he said.
The DA has since filed an urgent application in the Western Cape High Court, seeking to interdict the 0.5% VAT increase and set aside the parliamentary process that adopted the Fiscal Framework Policy.
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