Steenhuisen declares EFF 'political enemy number 1'
DA leader John Steenhuisen has declared the EFF as the party's "political enemy number one".
Steenhuisen launched an attack on the EFF in his victory speech, shortly after being re-elected as the DA federal leader on Sunday.
He told delegates at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand that the DA will oppose the EFF at every turn.
Labelling a possible ANC and EFF agreement after next year's elections a "doomsday coalition", Steenhuisen said preventing the two party's from sharing power would be one of the DA's main priorities ahead of the 2024 national elections.
"This is no longer about politics. It is about the survival of democracy, and the survival of South Africa.
"Throughout the period of this leadership campaign, I have reflected deeply upon the risk of the EFF coming to power, and the demands that this places upon the DA.
"I approached this question in my capacity as leader of the Democratic Alliance, carefully considering what we need to do to maximise our party’s support in next year’s election.
"But I also approached it in another way. In a way that is demanded of me by our country’s Constitution," said Steenhuisen.
Steenhuisen's stance, which is bound to put the political cats among the pigeons, has been given the thumbs up by the DA'a federal council chair Helen Zille.
"The DA stands for exactly the opposite of what the EFF stands for, we stand for a non-racial democracy, respect for the rule of law and the constitution, a market-based economy with safety nets for the poor.
"We stand for everything that will make a country succeed and make South Africa peaceful, prosperous democracy.
"The EFF stands for the exact opposite. In every place in the world that their system has been tried, it has been a disaster and nobody believes that (EFF leader) Julius Malema and his comrades have the ability to make a success where every every other proponent of racial nationalism policies has failed everywhere."
