ANC National Executive Committee’s (NEC) Andile Lungisa will not be among guest and dignitaries at the swearing-in of President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday.
Lungisa said he can’t be around the company of individuals whom “political consciousness” has escaped them.
“On Wednesday, I will be far-away from Union Buildings the oxygen from that zone can easily kill my political convictions and conciseness. My political conscience as a Pan-Africanist comes first anything else follows,” he explained.
Lungisa went on to tell ‘The Star’ that he didn’t have time for games, adding that he didn’t campaign to de-campaign the movement.
“I don’t have time for iintsomi (myth). I will never de-campaign our movement the ANC on which I have served the greater part of my life. I don’t entertain innuendo. Luckily where I campaigned in the last election the ANC won with big numbers.
“I have no business to do anything with DA. Anything that had to do with the DA please communicate with ANC SG Cde Mbalula or the national spokesperson Cde Mahlengi.”
Lungisa is one of the ANC NEC member who has previously vowed that they would leave the governing party should they enter into coalition or in a Government Of Unity (GNU) with the DA.
However, speaking with The Star on Wednesday morning, Lungisa changed his tune saying that he would never leave the ANC but he would instead fight his battles from within the party.
“I won’t go anywhere I will fight inside the movement,” he explained.
Furthermore, he said his political conscience as a Pan-Africanist came first and that anything else followed.
Earlier this year, Lungisa said should the governing party ever entertain the idea of working with the DA to govern the country, one would know that it has reached a point of no return.
The former ANC Youth League deputy president said some of them would never work with the DA.
“It will be that day when I will sit at home; I will never be with the DA. In my entire life, raised in the youth movement, it was to fight the DA.”
At the time, Lungisa urged the ANC to remain a progressive liberation movement, which needed to remain a disciplined force of the left.
The ANC DA, PA and IFP have become part of a GNU which saw ushered in the 7th administration into government.
DA leader John Steenhuisen announced on Friday that the DA had signed a framework agreement, alongside other parties, to form part of the GNU, following intense negotiations that concluded after the parliamentary sitting began.
In the GNU, parties are expected to be allotted Cabinet positions, legislative roles, and other significant appointments in alignment with the percentage of votes they received.
The Star