Two political parties indicated on Sunday that they are prepared to participate in a pact with the DA and civic organisations to defeat the ANC in 2024 – but with certain provisions.

This follows a call from the re-elected leader of the DA, John Steenhuisen, to enter the 2024 elections as a ‘moonshot pact’. In the DA’s words, ‘moonshot originally meant long shot, but it’s increasingly being used to describe a monumental effort and a lofty goal – in other words, a giant leap forward’.

Steenhuisen made called for ‘unity of purpose between all organisations that want to defeat the ANC and keep the EFF out’ in his acceptance speech at the DA’s federal congress over the weekend at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Halfway House.

Herman Mashaba of ActionSA and Dr Corné Mulder of the Freedom Front Plus both indicated their willingness to be part of such a pact, but they made it clear that they won’t be lackeys of the DA.

“The idea is not something new, but something we have been working on for several months now,” Mulder said.

Mulder says he welcomes the fact that the DA wants to be part of such a process and that his party is willing to work with them.

“But the DA must not for one moment think of hijacking the process, because this is not the time for political games, as the stakes are too high,” he said.

The leader of ActionSA, Herman Mashaba, said that his party is more than willing to be part of the pact.

“But the DA must know that we will all be equal, no one can be the leader of the process just because they are the bigger party. We all need each other,” Mashaba said.

“At least it looks like the DA’s flirtation with the ANC and possible plans to work together after 2024 is over and we welcome that, but voters will have to keep the DA in check about it,” Mulder said.

Steenhuisen says his party is fully committed to taking on the ANC and defeating it in 2024.