The UDM said the governing party had effectively muzzled the opposition, and the National Coronavirus Command Council seemed to be the body that was governing the country.
LEADERS of opposition parties are expected to meet in Parliament to discuss “matters of national importance” on Tuesday, following the State of the Nation address last month.
All leaders of the opposition parties have reportedly agreed to meet after being invited by the president of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), Bantu Holomisa.
Speaking to Independent Media on Sunday, Holomisa said the meeting was “nothing out of the ordinary” but was important for all opposition parties to compare notes and ensure they were “singing from the same hymn book”.
“We will cover a number of topical issues to make sure that we understand what is going on, and compare notes,” Holomisa said.
He said they needed to discuss the “slippery slope” on which Project South Africa was being built.
“At the moment, not only are the wheels of service delivery coming off, but certain fundamentals such as state security are questionable.
“We have seen two productive state commissions of inquiry conduct an expensive operation on some of this country’s worst cancerous tumours of corruption. We run the risk of a scenario where the findings and recommendations of the Zondo Commission follow the same route as that of the Mpati Commission … the road to oblivion,” Holomisa said.
In a statement, the UDM said the governing party had effectively muzzled the opposition, and the National Coronavirus Command Council seemed to be the body that was governing the country.
“We are grappling with the intricacies of making government work at a local level. It is a work in progress that requires our constant effort and mindfulness to make things work for the sake of all South Africans. We must keep this firmly in our minds as we approach what could be a watershed national and provincial election in 2024, and what that would mean to keep South Africa governable,” the UDM stated.
Holomisa said issues such as service delivery, state security, the Zondo and Mpati commissions, lockdown, the economy, government and other issues would be put under the microscope during the meeting.
He said there needed to be an understanding of their roles as parliamentarians of opposition parties.
“There might be a need to change the laws to make sure that this scale of corruption never happens again, and if so, what do we do as opposition parties and members of Parliament?” he said.
The meeting is expected to take place from 10am to 1pm.
Opposition parties contacted by Independent Media acknowledged the meeting invitation and said they would release more details of their involvement on Monday.
Political Bureau
